Annual, mat-forming. Culms tufted, ascending from prostrate base, rooting at nodes, up to 25 cm tall. Leaf sheaths usually shorter than internodes, uppermost longer, inflated, often clasping base of inflorescence; leaf blades broadly linear, tough, flat, glaucous, 3–8 cm, 2–4 mm wide, margins thick, pectinate-spinose, apex acute. Inflorescence 3–6 × ca. 0.8 cm; racemes of 2 subequal contiguous spikelets, rachis internode ca. 0.2 mm; rachis extension absent or up to 1.5 mm beyond upper spikelet, sometimes bearing rudimentary 3rd spikelet, this often reduced to a row of spines; basal peduncle 0.3–0.5 mm. Lower spikelet fertile, elliptic, 3.5–4 mm; lower glume very small, membranous; upper glume 5-ribbed, ribs bearing hooked, thick-based spines, apex acuminate-attenuate; lemma ovate-lanceolate, ca. 3 mm, puberulous, apex sharply acute. Upper spikelet similar to lower but slightly smaller, 3.2–3.7 mm, fertile. Fl. and fr. Jul–Sep.
Home