Merxmuellera

Perennial, tufted, sometimes reed-like. Leaf blade linear, usually rolled; basal sheaths, hard, shining, glabrous and smooth, rarely hairy; sheath-mouth often bearded; ligule a short fringe of hairs. Inflorescence a panicle, narrow, usually contracted, rarely a spike-like raceme; spikelets pedicelled. Spikelet 8-25 mm long, laterally compressed; disarticulating above glumes and between florets; glumes +/- equal or lower glume somewhat shorter, +/- as long as to longer than spikelet, similar, chartaceous, margins and apex hyaline, 1-keeled to middle or below, 1-5-nerved, median nerve prominent, lateral nerves usually only prominent in lowermost part, awnless. Florets 3-10 rarely 2; lower florets bisexual; uppermost floret rudimentary and sterile; lemma 5-16 mm long, rounded on back, similar in texture to glumes, 7-9-nerved, hairy, hairs usually arranged in tufts and fringes, rarely dispersed all over or glabrous, 2-lobed, lobes usually free, usually finely awned, often partly adnate to rarely completely adnate to central awn, central awn from sinus; awn usually geniculate and column twisted, rarely awn straight; callus rounded, hairy; palea bidentate, awnless, almost equal to lemma, 2-keeled, lanceolate, similar in texture to lemma, hyaline, glabrous between keels, rarely densely hairy, nerves ciliate or shortly pilose. Lodicules 2, long, membranous, often ciliate. Stamens 3. Ovary ovoid, glabrous; styles 2, long and plumose. x= 6.