Home
Tufted perennials, rarely annuals. Leaf-blades linear; ligule short, membranous, densely ciliate. Inflorescence composed of 1–20 subdigitate racemes, terminal on the culm, the common axis (if present) short in relation to the long slender racemes; racemes conspicuously hairy, bearing paired spikelets, those of each pair alike; internodes and pedicels linear. Spikelets dorsally compressed; callus obtuse; lower glume firmly cartilaginous to subcoriaceous, flat across the back with the margins sharply indexed, sometimes 2-keeled towards the tip, usually without intercarinal nerves, often obtuse or truncate, rarely bilobed or 2-awned; upper glume usually awnless; lower floret reduced to a cartilaginous or hyaline lemma, sometimes suppressed; upper lemma hyaline, linear to cordate, bidentate or deeply bifid, with a glabrous (rarely puberulous) awn from the sinus; stamens 3. Caryopsis oblong.
Tufted or rhizomatous perennials, or annuals. Leaves: ligule a membrane or hair fringed membrane; blade linear, attenuate. Inflorescences comprised of 2–14 digitate or subdigitate racemes, terminal; raceme peduncles hairy; rachis fragile, internodes and pedicels slender, pedicels free of rachis. Spikelets paired, with one sessile and the other pedicellate, homomorphous, lanceolate, narrowly elliptic or linear, dorsally compressed. Glumes similar, stiff; lower glume 2-keeled, flattened on back between keels, apex truncate or notched, awnless; upper glume with one keel, rounded on back and incurved around florets, apex truncate, obtuse or acute, awnless. Lower floret reduced to a linear lemma and sterile, or absent; upper floret bisexual, lemma bifid or bidentate for ⅓–½, with a prominent glabrous or hairy awn arising between the lobes of the lemma apex.
Inferior glume cartilaginous to subcoriaceous, the back flat and usually nerveless, sharply inflexed on the flanks or becoming 2-keeled above, acute to obtuse or truncate, rarely biaristulate.
Spikelets alike, paired, one sessile, one pedicelled, dorsally compressed, the callus obtuse, not long-barbate.
Inflorescence of 1–many subdigitate racemes; racemes fragile, conspicuously pilose, with slender internodes.
Superior lemma linear to cordate, bidentate to bifid, usually with a glabrous awn.
Inferior floret represented by a lemma or sometimes suppressed.
Superior glume usually awnless.
