Ephemerals or annuals, erect, caespitose. Flowering culms 20–75 cm high. Leaves: basal leaf sheath margins glabrous; ligule a fringe of hairs, to 0.5 mm long; blade flat, or convolute towards apex, linear, 3–10 cm long, to 4 mm wide, with smooth margins. Inflorescences paniculate, irregular, open, 8–15 cm long, with spikelets distributed uniformly; primary branches whorled at the lowermost panicle node, not all whorled, equalling or longer than adjacent internodes, spreading, without spikelets in the lower quarter, with spikelets loosely spaced and fairly even. Spikelets long-pedicellate, 1.5–2 mm long; pedicel 1–6 mm long. Glumes: lower glume very narrowly oblong, 0.5–1.5 mm long, acute, without nerves; upper glume lanceolate, ±equalling spikelet, 1.5–2 mm long. Lemma lanceolate (similar to upper glume but a little broader and slightly shorter), 1.4–1.6 mm long, carinate, acute, 1-nerved. Palea subequal to lemma, entire. Anthers 3, 0.2–0.4 mm long. Grain oblong, quadrangular, to 0.7 mm long, to 0.5 mm wide, to 0.3 mm thick, wrinkled, brown. Embryo ±half as long as grain.
More
A slender grass. It forms tufts. It keeps growing from year to year. It grows 20-40 cm high. The leaves are light green and 15 cm long. There are small spines along the edge. The flowers are purple. The seed heads are 20 cm long. The seeds are 2 mm long and black.
Home