Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Coarse, erect, grass-like, rhizomatous herbs.

Stems:

Roots: Fibrous root system.

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate, well distributed along stem. Blades grass-like, plicate in bud. Veins parallel. Sheaths open, with a small ligule and a pair of auricles at juncture of sheath and blade. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in terminal, many-branched, bracteate panicles, bracteoles caducous. Flowers relatively small and inconspicuous, bisexual (perfect), actinomorphic. Tepals 6, in 2 imbricate series, chartaceous or scarious, persistent, distinct or connate at base. Stamens 6, distinct; anthers dithecal, opening by longitudinal slits, sagittate. Ovary superior, 3-carpellate, with as many cells, placentation axile; ovules 1 per cell, pendulous, orthotropous; styles 3, terminal, distinct or connate at base; stigmas plumose.

Fruit: Fruit drupaceous; somewhat flattened; trigonous (especially when dry). Seeds 1–3; with copious mealy; starchy endosperm capped by a small; lenticular; undifferentiated embryo.

Ploidy:

Habitat:

Elevation Range: