Syringodium Kütz.

Dioecious. Rhizome creeping, herbaceous, monopodial, with many vascular bundles in the cortical layer, at each node with one or more unbranched or slightly branched roots and a short erect stem, bearing 2-3 leaves; internodes 1-4 cm long; scales scarious, ovate, acute, with numerous tannin cells. Leaf sheath broad, 1.5-6 cm long, persisting longer than the blade, leaving open circular scars when shed, subamplexicaulous, bi-auriculate and ligulate; scarious flaps covered with numerous tannin cells; auriculae ob-tuse. Leaf blade subulate, often narrowed at the base, covered with numerous tannin cells, in cross section showing 1 central vascular bundle, 6-8 air channels and a varying number of pericentral vascular bundles. Inflorescence cymose, the lower branches dichasial, the higher ones monochasial, so forming an anthela of drepania. ‘Flower’ enclosed by a reduced leaf, the sheath of which is elliptic to ovate and inflated, up to 9 mm long and 3 mm wide, and whose lamina is only 5-20 mm long; towards the top of the inflorescence these leaves gradually decreasing in size. Male ‘flower’ stalked, consisting of 2 anthers which are dorsally connate at their lower parts and attached at the same height on the stalk; anthers without an apical process. Female ‘flower’ sessile, consisting of 2 free ovaries, each with a very short style which divides into 2 rather short stigmata. Fruit with stony pericarp, obliquely ellipsoid to obliquely obovoid, quadrangular in cross section and dorsally with an inconspicuous 4-7 mm long median ridge; rostrum short and bifid.