POACEAE  

Perennial, bisexual or gynodioecious, tufted, tall tussocks up to 4 m tall. Leaf blade disarticulating from sheaths; ligule a fringe of hairs. Inflorescence a large, open, plumose panicle, 400-800 mm long, with many spikelets; spikelets pedicelled, either bisexual or female, spikelets all alike in sexuality on same plant. Spikelet 10-18 mm long; laterally compressed, disarticulating above glumes; glumes +/- equal, shorter to as long as spikelet, narrow, hyaline, similar, glabrous, 1(3)-nerved, awnless. Florets 1-7, depending on sex of spikelet; lemma similar to firmer in texture to glumes, hyaline or membranous, not becoming indurated, 7-9-nerved, glabrous or hairy, hairs long and fine, reaching from base to apex of body of lemma, entire, awn-like, awnless; callus long, pointed, hairy; palea glabrous, relatively long. Lodicules 2, fleshy, ciliate. Stamens 3, or 0 or minute in female spikelets of dioecious plants. Ovary glabrous. x= 9 (high polyploidy).

Male spikelet lanceolate to elliptic-oblong; lower glume flat on back, 2-keeled, keels winged above, upper glume boat-shaped. Florets 2, both male or one sterile; lemma and palea membranous. Stamens 3. x= 5 (high polyploidy).

Perennial, tufted. Leaf blade linear, usually expanded; ligule a fringed membrane. Inflorescence usually of open or dense, spike-like racemes along a central axis; spikelets solitary, shortly pedicelled. Spikelet laterally compressed, disarticulating above glumes and between florets; glumes +/- equal to unequal, lanceolate, shorter than spikelet, membranous, rounded or lightly keeled on back, 1(3)-nerved. Florets 7-12, bisexual; uppermost floret sometimes male only; lemma saccate below, lightly keeled above middle, rounded on back in lower half, 3-nerved, hairy with club-shaped hairs on lower back, or glabrous, awnless; callus 0; palea shorter than lemma, glabrous or with club-shaped hairs on lower half. Lodicules 2, fleshy, glabrous. Stamens 3. Ovary glabrous. Caryopsis broadly ellipsoid, strongly flattened; pericarp free.

Perennial, tufted, prickly, woody. Leaf blade flat or rolled, hard and woody, pungent; ligule a fringe of hairs. Inflorescence a panicle with a stout central axis usually ending in spines and without spikelets, bearing short dorsal primary laterals, laterals secondarily branched and condensed into clusters appressed to central axis or forming simple spreading racemes; spikelets solitary, shortly pedicelled. Spikelet laterally compressed, disarticulating above glumes and tardily between florets; glumes +/- equal, shorter than spikelet, similar, 3-nerved, awnless. Florets 3-20, bisexual; uppermost floret reduced; lemma similar in texture to glumes, entire, 3-nerved, rounded, usually glabrous or with short hairs, awnless; palea similar in texture to lemma. Lodicules 2, fleshy. Stamens 3. Ovary glabrous. Caryopsis narrowly oblong with free pericarp. x= 10.

Annual or perennial, tufted, stoloniferous and rhizomatous. Leaf blade expanded, folded or rolled, rounded or keeled and flabellate; ligule a short, fringed membrane or fringe of hairs. Inflorescence of few to many 1-sided spike-like racemes, digitate or densely crowded on an elongated axis; spikelets solitary or in pairs, shortly pedicelled or subsessile. Spikelet 1.2-5.0 mm long, laterally compressed, disarticulating above glumes; glumes unequal, shorter than spikelet to longer (at least upper glume), membranous, keeled, 1-nerved, awnless or with awn-point; upper glume acute to bidentate. Florets 2-6; lowest floret bisexual; rarely all bisexual; lemma similar to firmer in texture than glumes, membranous or cartilaginous, dissimilar; lowest lemma keeled, usually hairy on margins or keels, or with a long tuft of hairs on upper part, 1-7-nerved, shortly 2-lobed, with a subapical awn, awn as long as or longer than body of lemma; callus usually minute, rounded or pungent, hairy; palea as long as lemma, 2-keeled, hyaline; remaining florets sterile or much reduced, sometimes male; second lemma spathulate or obovate, truncate, glabrous, awned, awn shorter than body of lemma; third and fourth lemma, if present, much reduced, uppermost often reduced to a bristle. Lodicules 2, minute. Stamens 3. Ovary glabrous; styles plumose above. Caryopsis ellipsoid, trigonous to lanceolate and subterete. x= 10 (aneuploids, high polyploidy).