Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Robust perennials.

Stems: Culms tufted, stout, 20–40 dm tall, solid, culm base compressed flabellate.

Roots: Fibrous root system.

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate. Blades up to 150 cm long, up to 20 mm wide. Apex acuminate. Base narrowed to the sheath. Surfaces glabrous, midrib white, prominent, margins and nerves scabrous on upper surface. Margins entire. Veins parallel. Sheaths keeled, ± compressed, margins overlapping, glabrous; ligule membranous, ciliate. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in inflorescences large compound, drooping, paniculate, spathes 3–3.5 cm long, subtending a flattened rachis, apex pubescent, racemes of spikelet pairs at about the middle of the spathe. involucral and pedicellate spikelets reddish brown, similar in shape, narrowly fusiform, acuminate, 15–20 mm long, pedicels rufous pubescent; sessile spikelet with a callus ca. 2 mm long, densely pubescent with rufous hairs, first glume ovate, 10–nerved, the nerves reticulate toward apex, densely rufous pubescent between the nerves, apex acute, first lemma 1–nerved, apex acute; second lemma 1–nerved, hyaline, prolonged into a twisted pubescent awn up to 42 mm long, second palea lanceolate, nerveless, hyaline. Stamens 3 (when present). Ovary superior.

Fruit: Caryopsis reddish brown; fusiform; ca. 5 mm long.

Ploidy: 2n = 32; 40

Habitat: Dry pastures; along roadsides; and other disturbed sites.

Elevation Range: 0–700 m.