Description
Key Characters:
Growth Form:
Cespitose annuals 2–30(–46) cm tall.
Stems:
Culms usually branched, puberulent, the nodes puberulent or short-pilose.
Roots:
Roots fibrous.
Leaves:
Leaves simple.
Alternate, cauline.
Blades 1.5-12 cm long, 0.1-0.4 cm wide (when unrolled), often loosely involute.
Upper surfaces pilose; lower surfaces puberulent.
Veins parallel.
Sheaths usually puberulent, auricular hairs often prominent, 1-2.5 mm long; ligule a ciliate membrane,0.4-1.6 mm long, the membrane rudimentary or 0.1-0.3 mm long, the cilia 0.3-1.5 mm long.
Stipules absent.
Flowers:
Panicles 1-11 cm long, axis puberulent or sparsely pilose, branches usually appressed, puberulent or pilose; spikelets 2.0-4.2 mm long, acuminate to acute, short-pubescent with short to long tufts of hairs at apex of the glumes 0.6-3.5 mm long at apex, first glume as long as spikelet, acute to acuminate, 3-5-nerved, second glume shorter than or subequal to first glume, acute to acuminate, 5-9-nerved.
First floret sterile, first lemma shorter than or equaling second glume, glabrous or short-pubescent at least toward apex, 7-nerved, first palea 1/6-1/5 as long as first lemma; second floret dark brown at maturity, 1.2-1.8 mm long, 0.5-0.7 mm wide, elliptic, smooth, glossy.
Anthers 0.8-1.1 mm long.
Fruit:
Fruit a caryopsis
Ploidy:
Habitat:
Occurring in dry; open; often rocky habitats; including lava flows; rocky shores; raised coralline reefs; and dunes.
Elevation Range:
0–400 m.