Annual or short-lived perennial, loosely to densely tufted, with erect or ascending 3–6-noded culms up to 60 cm. high; nodes black and prominent.. Leaf-blades 3–12 cm. long, 2–4 mm. wide, obtuse; sheaths loosely flabellate at the base of the culms.. Spikes partially enclosed by the inflated uppermost leaf-sheath, solitary or more rarely paired, 3–6 cm. long.. Spikelets 5–9(–12)-flowered, all florets awned, the lower 3–5(–7) florets fertile; glumes lanceolate, acuminate or aristate, the lower 5–9 mm. long, the upper 7–12 mm. long; lowest lemma ovate, 4–6 mm. long, ciliate to villous along the nerves and keel, with an awn 7–11 mm. long; upper (1–)4(–6) florets sterile and reduced to glabrous or sparsely ciliate lemmas.. Grain of lowest floret obovate, 2–2.5 mm. long.. Fig. 98.
Home
