Saccharum officinarum, a member of the grass family. This crop originated in New Guinea about 8000–15,000 B.C., and was later moved by primitive humans westward into Southeast Asia and India and eastward into Polynesia (Fig. 1). The original sugarcanes, so-called noble canes, have 2n = 80 chromosomes, although there are some exceptions. The noble canes probably evolved from a wild ancestor, Saccharum robustum Brandes and Jesweit ex Grassl, with 2n = 60–194 chromosomes. Saccharum officinarum hybridized with wild species, especially S. spontaneum L., in Asia, giving rise to new types that were variable in morphology and ecological tolerance and that extended the distribution of sugarcane into the subtropics. Two additional species, S. sinense and S. barberi, are recognized in botanical literature.