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HABIT
Annual, or perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations intravaginal; flabellate. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 20–100 cm long. Culm-internodes elliptical in section. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths keeled. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.25 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades 4–40 cm long; 2–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; filiform.
INFLORESCENCE
Inflorescence composed of racemes.
Racemes 5–20; digitate; unilateral; 4–8 cm long. Rhachis subterete. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; regular.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.
FERTILE SPIKELETS
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 2–2.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus bearded; obtuse. Floret callus hairs 0.2–0.3 length of lemma.
GLUMES
Glumes persistent; similar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 1.2–1.5 mm long; 0.6 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein smooth, or scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 1.7–2.5 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein smooth, or scaberulous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute; mucronate.
FLORETS
Fertile lemma elliptic to oblong; laterally compressed; elliptic in profile (narrowly); 2–2.5 mm long; cartilaginous; pallid; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliate; hairy above. Lemma lateral veins close to margins. Lemma margins ciliolate; hairy all along. Lemma hairs 1–1.5 mm long. Lemma apex obtuse; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 4.5–7 mm long overall; limb scaberulous. Palea elliptic; 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea apex obtuse. Apical sterile florets 2 in number; barren; separate; cuneate. Apical sterile lemmas awned; 1 -awned. Apical sterile lemma awns 2.5–7 mm long; 2 per spikelet in number.
FRUIT
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform; dorsally compressed; trigonous; estipitate; without sulcus; 1.2 mm long; smooth; apex unappendaged. Embryo 0.75 length of caryopsis. Hilum punctiform. Endosperm farinose.
DISTRIBUTION
Africa: north, Macaronesia, west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, middle Atlantic ocean, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: western Asia, Arabia, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia. Pacific: southwestern, south-central, northwestern, and north-central. North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.
