Elegia

Plants caespitose or rhizomatous. Culms widely spaced, erect, simple or branching, terete or compressed, often with shorter sterile stems. Leaf sheaths closely convolute or sometimes loose in their upper parts, persistent or caducous. Maleinflorescence usually similar or identical to female; perianth segments woody; florets often somewhat smaller than female. Male spikelets many, in panicled cymes, or fewer in spicate cymes, or solitary and terminal, with many florets; perianth compressed; segments 6, outer lateral ones usually boat-shaped, villous on midrib or glabrous; ovary rudimentary. Femaleinflorescence generally of large numbers of compact spikelets clustered at several fertile nodes, these often obscured by large persistent spathes. Femalespikelets poorly organised, with 1-many florets; bracts usually shorter than florets; perianth subtrigonous; perianth segments osseous, often black, outer lateral ones not keeled; staminodes minute or 0; ovary usually trigonous, rarely compressed, 1-locular; styles 2 or 3, short, plumose, free or connate below middle. Fruit a trigonous nutlet.