Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Cespitose annuals 4–65 cm tall.

Stems: Culms branched or unbranched, pilose, the nodes pilose.

Roots: Roots fibrous.

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate, cauline. Blades 2-17 cm long, 0.2-0.5 cm wide, flat. Surfaces ciliate, papillose-pilose. Veins parallel. Sheaths papillose-pilose; ligule 0.1-0.5(-0.9) mm long, a line of cilia borne on a rudimentary membranous rim up to 0.1 mm long, or often nearly entirely absent, especially in the uppermost leaf of a culm. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Panicles 2-18 cm long, axis pilose, branches spreading, in depauperate specimens sometimes appressed, pilose; spikelets 1.5-2.1 mm long, acute, pubescent; glumes subequal, acute, first glume usually somewhat shorter than second glume, 5-nerved, pubescent with hairs 0.4-1.5 mm long, second glume as long as spikelet, 7-nerved, pubescent in upper 1/2. First floret sterile, first lemma as long as second glume or slightly shorter, 7-nerved, glabrous, first palea 1/4-1/3 as long as first lemma; second floret brown at maturity 1.1-1.3 mm long, 0.6-0.7 mm wide, elliptic, glossy, smooth; anthers 0.5-0.7 mm long.

Fruit: Fruit a caryopsis

Ploidy:

Habitat: Common in dry; open areas on lava flows; ash fields; pastures; and dunes.

Elevation Range: 0–2,770 m.