Description: Perennials with extravaginal innovations.
Leaves with ligule membranous, short, truncate.
Inflorescence a solitary terminal exserted spike-like raceme. Rachis internodes curved, clavate, ± fragile. Fertile spikelets sessile, secund, overlapping, solitary at the rachis nodes, accompanied by a pedicel surmounted by the rudiments of a spikelet that is often reduced to a bristle or mucro or absent; spikelet pairs falling with the rachis internode. Callus very short, smooth and glabrous or hirsute. Florets 2, the lower male, the upper female or bisexual. Lower glume 2-keeled; upper with narrowly inturned margins. Lower lemma and palea elliptic, acute, hyaline; stamens 3; lodicules 2, obliquely truncate-cuneate. Upper lemma and palea hyaline, equalling or shorter than those of the lower floret; stamens 3 when present; stigmas plumose.
Distribution and occurrence: World: 9 species, Asia & Australia. Australia: 3 species (native), Qld, N.S.W.
Text by S. W. L. Jacobs & C. A. Wall
Taxon concept:
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