POACEAE  

Annual or perennial. Leaf blade linear to lanceolate; ligule unfringed or a fringed membrane or fringe of hairs, rarely absent on all or only upper leaves. Inflorescence of 1-many, usually 1-sided, spike-like racemes scattered up central axis, rarely spike-like or like a panicle, rachis 3-angled or flattened; spikelets solitary, paired or clustered, often sessile or pedicelled, often orientated with lower glume adjacent to rachis of raceme (adaxial). Spikelet not noticeably to dorsiventrally compressed, disarticulating with glumes or above them, ovate to oblong, plump, obtuse to acute, rarely softly long-hairy; glumes unequal in size, rarely +/- equal, dissimilar, awnless; lower glume usually shorter than spikelet, membranous, obtuse at apex, 1-7-nerved; upper glume usually as long as spikelet and similar to lower lemma, acuminate, 5-11-nerved. Florets 2; lower floret male or sterile with lemma similar to upper glume, 5-7-nerved, palea shorter than lemma, membranous; upper floret bisexual, lemma firmer than glumes, crustaceous, faintly 5-nerved, glabrous, margins inrolled and covering only edges of palea, awnless; palea obtuse to subacute, firm with two marginal flaps at base. Lodicules 2, broadly cuneate. Stamens 3. Ovary ovoid; styles plumose above. Caryopsis ellipsoid, dorsiventrally compressed. x= 7, 9 (high polyploidy).

Perennial, tufted, rhizomatous. Leaf blade linear to linear-lanceolate, expanded or rolled; ligule an unfringed membrane. Inflorescence of spike-like racemes scattered on and appressed to central axis; spikelets solitary, shortly pedicelled. Spikelet 5.5-9.0 mm long, weakly laterally compressed, disarticulating above glumes and not between florets; glumes +/- equal, shorter than spikelet, similar, 1-nerved, acuminate, awnless. Florets 2-6, bisexual, but uppermost floret reduced; lemma similar in texture to glumes, membranous, lightly keeled, 3-nerved, hairy on lateral nerves, entire or incised, awned from back below apex, awn straight, shorter to, to as long as body of lemma; callus short, blunt, densely hairy; palea as long as lemma, hairy. Lodicules 2, long and narrow, glabrous. Stamens 3. Ovary glabrous. Caryopsis linear-oblong. x= 10 (1 report).

Perennial, tufted, stoloniferous. Leaf blade somewhat linear, expanded or folded, apex abruptly rounded; ligule a narrow, fringed membrane. Inflorescence of 2-many slender racemes, digitate or subdigitate; spikelets solitary, subsessile, alternating on one side of 3-angled rachis, back of upper lemma turned away from rachis. Spikelet lanceolate to oblong, dorsiventrally compressed, falling with glumes; glumes unequal, awnless; lower glume absent; upper glume membranous, as long as spikelet, 4- or 5-nerved. Florets 2; lower floret sterile, with lemma similar to upper glume; palea 0; upper floret bisexual, lemma firmer than glumes, chartaceous to crustaceous, as long as spikelet, obtuse, 4-nerved, glabrous, entire, with back turned away from rachis, margins narrow, inrolled and covering only edges of palea, awnless; palea equal or subequal to lemma, indurated. Lodicules 2, minute, broadly cuneate. Stamens 3. Ovary glabrous; styles distinct, plumose. Caryopsis ellipsoid, dorsiventrally compressed. x= 10 (high polyploidy).

Perennial, tall reed, long rhizomatous. Leaf blade linear-lanceolate to lanceolate, expanded, deciduous at base of blade, leaves cauline; ligule a short fringed membrane, hairs shorter than subtending membrane. Inflorescence a large, plumose panicle, 300-600 mm long, branches stiff and ascending; spikelets pedicelled. Spikelet laterally compressed, disarticulating above glumes; glumes +/- equal, +/- as long as spikelet, membranous, 3-5-nerved, awnless. Florets 2-7, bisexual or uppermost floret reduced; lemma similar to less firm in texture to glumes, not becoming indurated, hyaline or membranous, long-hairy, 3-9-nerved, awned; awn straight, shorter than body of lemma; callus short, blunt, hairy; palea present, shorter than lemma, 2-nerved. Lodicules 2, fleshy, glabrous. Stamens 3. Ovary glabrous. x= 12 (aneuploids, high polyploidy ).

Perennial or annual, often trailing. Leaf blade linear-lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, cordate and amplexicaul at base; ligule an unfringed to fringed membrane (rarely). Inflorescence of slender racemes, subdigitate, internodes and pedicels filiform to linear; spikelets usually paired, secund, in long-short combinations: one sessile, the other pedicelled, pedicels free from rachis. Sessile spikelet laterally compressed, falling with glumes; glumes +/- equal in size, dissimilar, awnless; lower glume rounded on back, with or without 2 lateral keels, spinously muricate; upper glume laterally compressed. Florets 2; lower floret sterile, reduced to a hyaline lemma, awnless; upper floret bisexual, lemma less firm than glumes, hyaline, awned from low down on back, awn glabrous, geniculate; callus truncate, inserted into hollow top of internode; palea reduced or 0. Lodicules 2, fleshy, glabrous. Stamens 2 or 3. Ovary glabrous. Caryopsis terete.