Deschampsia

Perennial, rarely annual, tufted. Leaf blade filiform to linear, flat or folded; ligule an unfringed membrane, often elongated. Inflorescence a panicle, lax and open, rarely contracted; spikelets pedicelled. Spikelet small, 3-6 mm long, shining, laterally compressed, disarticulating above glumes and between florets, rachilla pilose or rarely glabrous, distinctly elongated between florets, produced as a fine bristle; glumes +/- equal, shorter to longer than spikelet, similar, subscarious to membranous with thin shining margins, keeled, mostly acute; lower glume 1-nerved; upper glume 1-3-nerved. Florets usually 2, bisexual, rarely uppermost floret reduced; lemma similar in texture to firmer than glumes, lanceolate, rounded on back, obscurely 4-7-nerved, 2-4-lobed or lacerate-truncate at apex, awned from back near base; awn straight or geniculate, as long as to longer than body of lemma; callus minute, obtuse, usually hairy; palea +/- as long as lemma, 2-keeled. Stamens 3. Ovary ellipsoid, glabrous; styles plumose above. Caryopsis ellipsoid, glabrous. x= 7, 13 (aneuploids, high polyploidy, B-chromosomes).