Description
Key Characters:
Growth Form:
Perennial; caespitose.
Stems:
Rhizomes absent, or elongated. Stolons present. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent, or prostrate, 15–75 cm long, 1–4 -noded, without nodal roots, or rooting from lower nodes. Culm-internodes smooth.
Roots:
Roots fibrous.
Leaves:
Leaves simple.
Alternate.
Blades flat, or convolute; 2–15 cm long; 1–3 mm wide.
Apex acuminate.
Surfaces ribbed; scaberulous.
Margins entire.
Veins parallel.
Sheaths without a keel; smooth, or scaberulous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–5 mm long; acute.
Stipules absent.
Flowers:
Inflorescence an open or contracted panicle, lanceolate, or ovate; 2–10 cm long; 1–7 cm wide. Primary panicle branches whorled at most nodes. Panicle branches capillary; terete (cylindrical); scaberulous. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; terete (cylindrical); 1–3 mm long. Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate, or oblong; laterally compressed; 1.7–3.3 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pubescent. Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma; shiny; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 1–1.1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 1.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous (above). Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.
Fertile lemma oblong, or ovate; 1.1–2.1 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 4–5 -veined. Lemma apex truncate; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn dorsal; arising 0.2 way up back of lemma; geniculate; 2–4.5 mm long overall; with twisted column. Palea oblong; 0.1–0.25 length of lemma; hyaline; 2 -veined. Palea apex obtuse. Lodicules 2; lanceolate; membranous.
Anthers 3; 1–1.5 mm long.
Ovary superior; stigmas 2, laterally exserted.
Fruit:
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; isodiametric; biconvex; estipitate; without sulcus; smooth; apex unappendaged. Embryo 0.2 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 0.9 length of caryopsis. Endosperm farinose.
Ploidy:
Habitat:
Elevation Range: