Acroceras Stapf In Prain

Annuals or perennials with slender trailing culms, often rooting from the lower nodes. Leaf-blades linear to ovate, with or without cross-veins; ligule a very short membranous rim. Inflorescence composed of racemes borne along a central axis; rhachis triquetrous, bearing spikelets in pairs (or sometimes on short secondary branchlets), the pedicels of each pair ± connate below. Spikelets lanceolate to oblong, plumply subterete, the glumes and lemmas ± thickened at the extreme tip; glumes unequal, membranous, the lower 1/4–3/4, the upper as long as the spikelet; lower floret ♂ or barren, the lemma similar to the upper glume, with a palea; upper lemma crustaceous, dorsally compressed, smooth or finely striate, its margins inrolled and clasping the edges of the palea, glabrous or obscurely puberulous at the green keeled tip; upper palea subacute with the tip briefly reflexed and ± protruberant between the lemma margins. Caryopsis ellipsoid, flattened on one side.