Perennials, stoloniferous or rhizomatous, caespitose, bisexual. Young shoots extravaginal. Leaves auriculate or non-auriculate; ligule an unfringed to fringed membrane (a hyaline rim with caducous cilia); blade rolled in bud, persistent. Inflorescence a single raceme or paniculate. Spikelets solitary or paired, pedicellate, with 2 basal sterile florets and 1 bisexual floret terminating rachilla (sometimes cleistogamous with reduced paleas and lodicules and indehiscent stamens); rachilla with distinctly elongated internode above glumes. Glumes usually very unequal with upper one longer, shorter than basal lemma, muticous, dorsally rounded or slightly keeled, 0 or 1 or 3-nerved. Sterile florets reduced to lemmas; lemmas longer than bisexual lemma, without basal auricular appendages, tapering to a long slender awn, 5–9-nerved. Bisexual floret: lemma muticous or mucronate or tapered into a short stout apical awn, 5–7-nerved, glabrous; palea usually present but varying in size, usually 1-nerved or nerveless; stamens 2–6. Caryopsis laterally compressed, hilum long-linear.
Home