Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Cespitose annuals 5–80 cm tall.

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

Roots: Roots fibrous.

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate, cauline. Blades 3-18 cm long, 0.1-0.8 cm wide, flat. Surfaces usually papillose-pilose, rarely puberulent or subglabrous. Veins parallel. Sheaths usually papillose-pilose or occasionally puberulent; Iigule a ciliate membrane, 0.5-2 mm long, the membrane a rudimentary rim or up to 0.6 mm long, the cilia 0.5-1.6 mm long. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Panicles 3-25 cm long; spikelets 1.5-3.2(-3.7) mm long, acute to acuminate, glabrous; glumes usually equal or subequal, acute and as long as spikelet, sometimes first glume longer than second glume and both glumes acuminate, first glume 3-5-nerved, second glume 5-7-nerved; First floret sterile, first lemma usually distinctly shorter, rarely as long as second glume, 7-nerved, first palea 1/4-1/2 as long as first glume; second floret 1.2-1.7 mm long, 0.5-0.7 mm wide, elliptic, smooth, glossy; anthers 0.7-1.2 mm long.

Fruit: Fruit a caryopsis

Ploidy:

Habitat: Occurring in open; dry habitats such as pastures; dunes; roadsides; and lava flows.

Elevation Range: 0–430 m.