POACEAE  

Annual or perennial (sometimes short-lived), tufted, stoloniferous, mat-forming. Leaf blade linear, margins usually thickened; ligule a fringe of hairs. Inflorescence of spike-like main branches widely scattered or closely arranged along central axis; spikelets shortly pedicelled. Spikelet 2-5 mm long, dorsiventrally compressed, disarticulating above glumes, distinct elongated internode between and above glumes, rounded on back; glumes very unequal, slightly longer than spikelet, membranous, obtuse to acute, glabrous or long-ciliate on nerves, awnless; lower glume nerveless; upper glume 1-nerved. Floret 1, bisexual; lemma less firm to similar in texture to glumes, thinly membranous, broadly rounded, entire, acute to obtuse, 3-nerved, hairy, awned; awn minute, straight; callus pungent; palea glabrous or silky-hairy. Lodicules 2, fleshy, glabrous. Stamens 3. Ovary glabrous. Caryopsis ellipsoid.

Pedicelled spikelet similar to but smaller than sessile spikelet, bisexual or male only. x = 10.

Annual or perennial, tufted or decumbent, sometimes stoloniferous. Leaf blade expanded; ligule a fringed membrane to a fringe of hairs. Inflorescence of 2-many or solitary, 1-sided racemes, scattered alternately on a central axis; rachis 3-angled or flat; spikelets solitary or paired, more rarely in clusters of 3 or 4; pedicels often reduced to disc-tipped stumps; lower glume turned away from rachis (abaxial). Spikelet dorsiventrally compressed, plano-convex, ovate or lanceolate, falling entire at maturity; glumes unequal, dissimilar, awnless; lower glume usually shorter than spikelet, 3-5-nerved; upper glume as long as spikelet, 5-11-nerved. Florets 2; lower floret male or sterile; lemma 5-7-nerved, resembling upper glume, awnless; palea almost as long as lemma or reduced, 2-keeled; upper floret bisexual; lemma shorter than spikelet, firmer than glumes, indurated, entire, rounded at apex, margins inrolled and clasping only edges of palea, rugose, faintly 5-7-nerved, mucronate or awned; awn scabrid, straight, shorter than spikelet; palea obtuse, almost as long as and same texture as lemma, 2-keeled. Lodicules 2, small, cuneate. Stamens 3. Ovary glabrous; styles plumose. Caryopsis broadly ellipsoid to subrotund, dorsiventrally compressed. x= 7, 9, 15 (polyploidy).

Perennial, tufted. Leaf blade expanded or rolled; ligule a fringe of hairs. Inflorescence an open or contracted panicle or raceme; spikelets usually in triads, rarely in pairs, pedicels of triads entirely or partly fused, thus mimicking a single spikelet, rarely pedicels free, pedicels slender, often of different lengths, longest pedicel much longer than shortest pedicel. Spikelet large, 10-45 mm long, laterally to not noticeably compressed, disarticulating above glumes; glumes unequal, lanceolate, +/- persistent, chartaceous or subcoriaceous, 3-5-nerved, glabrous or hairy, hairs usually tubercle-based; upper glume usually as long as spikelet. Florets 2; lower floret male; lemma membranous, 3-7-nerved, glabrous or hairy, awnless; palea well developed; upper floret bisexual; lemma convolute, similar to firmer in texture to glumes, usually cartilaginous, 5-9-nerved, glabrous or hairy, hairs not in tufts, incised, 2-lobed, lobes awnless or awned, central awn from between lobes; awn geniculate and twisted, usually longer than body of lemma; callus conical, pungent, pubescent; palea membranous, 2-keeled, hyaline, keels thickened but not winged. Lodicules 2, cuneate, very fleshy. Stamens 3. Ovary obovoid to oblong, glabrous or apex hairy; styles plumose. Caryopsis longitudinally grooved; embryo large. x= 10, 12 (polyploidy).

Perennial, slender, up to 220 mm tall, densely tufted. Leaf blade narrowly linear; leaf sheaths persistent at base, sometimes becoming fibrous; ligule a narrow, fringed membrane or a fringe of hairs. Inflorescence a solitary, terminal, subsecund spike; spikelets usually appressed to rachis, alternating in 2 rows along slender triangular rachis; glumes dorsiventral to rachis. Spikelet linear-elliptic, laterally compressed, disarticulating above glumes and between florets; glumes unequal, shorter than spikelet, membranous, keeled, 1-nerved or rarely upper glume 3-nerved; lower glume often asymmetrical. Florets 5-10, all bisexual except terminal floret reduced; lemma membranous, glabrous, dorsally rounded or obtusely keeled, 1-3-nerved, rarely with 1 or 2 additional faint nerves, emarginate to 2-lobed, central nerve terminating in a mucro or slender awn, rarely laterals mucronate; callus short, villous; palea shorter than lemma, 2-keeled, keels usually winged, hyaline. Lodicules 2, truncate. Stamens 2 or 3. Ovary glabrous; styles plumose. Caryopsis narrow, subterete, obtusely trigonous in cross section. x= 10.