Robust tufted perennials, eglandular, not aromatic, often pruinose or glaucous. Culms mostly sprawling or prostrate, 50–150 cm long, branched; flowering culms usually prostrate. Leaves mostly glabrous and smooth; sheaths usually overlapping; ligule 0.2–0.5 mm long; blade flat and 3–6 mm wide or loosely convolute, straight, to 35 cm long, sometimes pilose towards ligule. Panicles contracted or spiciform, usually interrupted, 24–60 cm long, 1–1.5 cm wide; branches sometimes naked in lower 1–2.5 cm. Spikelets shortly pedicellate, laterally compressed or biconvex towards apex, linear to lanceolate, 10–33 mm long, 1.3–3 mm wide; rachilla flexuose; florets 14–50, closely overlapping or becoming loose. Glumes ±equal or the upper larger, lanceolate or ovate, 1.3–3.3 mm long. Lemma ovate to lanceolate, 2.2–3.5 mm long, acute or acuminate, often pruinose and purple; lower lemmas often longer than upper. Palea: body spathulate; keels partly or entirely spiny; flaps distinctly narrower than body. Stamens 3; anthers 0.4–0.6 mm long. Grain laterally compressed, trigonous, c. 0.8 mm long, white-striate. Pericarp free on wetting.
Home