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Coarse stoloniferous perennial without rhizomes; stolons stout, lying flat on the ground; culms very robust, 40–100 cm. high, 2–6 mm. in diameter at the base, hard, shining and woody.. Leaf-blades flat, 3–25 cm. long, 3–7 mm. wide, stiff and harsh, glaucous, scaberulous, glabrous or with a few scattered hairs; ligule a scarious rim 0.3 mm. long.. Racemes 5–17, 4–8 cm. long (typically 5–6 cm.), in 2–5 whorls (rarely 1), stiff and spreading.. Spikelets 2.5–3 mm. long, strongly pigmented with red or purple; glumes narrowly lanceolate in side view, 1-nerved, the upper ± 3/4 as long as the spikelet; lemma weakly pubescent on the keel above; palea glabrous.. Fig. 89, p. 320.
Robust perennial, 350-900 mm high; stoloniferous; culm robust, often woody, hard or coarse. Leaf blade 50-200 x 3-7 mm; ligule a fringe of hairs to a fringed membrane. Inflorescence digitate or subdigitate, of 2-5 stiff and tardily spreading racemes, usually red or purple; rachis flattened. Spikelets 2.5-3.0 mm long, strongly laterally compressed; glumes narrowly lanceolate in side view, 1-nerved, awnless; upper glume 3/4 to ± as long as spikelet. Floret 1, bisexual, rachilla usually produced; lemma glabrous or with a few scattered hairs, keel sometimes hairy, wingless, awnless; palea glabrous; anther 1.3-1.6 mm long. Flowering time Jan.-June.
Robust perennial 350-900 mm high; stoloniferous; culm robust, often woody, hard or coarse. Leaf blade 30-250 x 3-7 mm; ligule a fringe of hairs to a fringed membrane. Inflorescence of racemes in multiple whorls, racemes normally stiff and tardily spreading, often red or purple. Spikelet 2.5-3.0 mm long, rachilla usually produced; glumes narrowly lanceolate in side view, 1-nerved; upper glume 3/4 to ± as long as spikelet; lemma glabrous or with a few scattered hairs, keel sometimes hairy, keel not winged; palea glabrous; anther 1.3-1.6 mm long.
Robust perennial, stoloniferous (often woody and coarse), up to 0.9 m high. Leaf blades 30-250 mm long, 3-7 mm wide. Spikelets 2.5-3.0 mm long. Racemes stiff, purple-pigmented, in multiple whorls; keel of lemma not winged, glabrous or with a few single hairs.
Spikelets 2.4–2.8 mm long, strongly pigmented with red or purple; glumes narrowly lanceolate in profile, the superior c. 3/4 as long as the spikelet; lemma glabrous, thinly pubescent or occasionally pilose on the keel.
Coarse stoloniferous perennial without rhizomes; stolons stout; culms very robust, up to 130 cm tall, hard, shining and woody at the base, erect; leaf laminas 5–20 cm × 3–7 mm, flat.
A coarse grass with runners. It keeps growing from year to year.
A species from eastern Africa introduced as a fodder grass.
Racemes 6–17 in 2–5 (rarely 1) whorls, 6–11 cm long.
Up to 1 m. high
