Holcus

Annual or perennial, tufted. Leaf blade linear, expanded, pubescent or pilose; ligule an unfringed or fringed membrane. Inflorescence a panicle, contracted, often dense, sometimes almost spike-like, oblong or interrupted; spikelets solitary, pedicelled, pedicel terete, pilose. Spikelet laterally compressed, falling with glumes; glumes +/- equal, +/- as long as to longer than spikelet, membranous, dissimilar, keeled; lower glume lanceolate, hairy on keels and margins, 1-3-nerved, awned; awn half as long as body of glume; upper glume larger, elliptic-lanceolate or ovate, 3-nerved, with 2 prominent lateral nerves, hairy on keel and margins, shortly mucronate or awned; awn as long as body of glume. Florets 2, a brief rachilla extension often present; lower floret bisexual; lemma firmer in texture than glumes, shiny, ovate, rounded on back, obscurely 3-5-nerved, obtuse or acute, awnless; upper floret specialised in form, male or sterile, lemma shorter to +/- as long as lower lemma, lanceolate, hyaline or membranous, glabrous, awned from back near apex; awn short, stout, hooked, usually geniculate, slightly twisted; palea smaller than lemma, narrow-lanceolate. Lodicules 2, delicate. Stamens 3. Ovary glabrous; styles distinct, plumose above. Caryopsis narrowly ellipsoid. x= 4, 7 (polyploidy).