Perennial (ours). Inflorescence of several slender racemes, these either digitate or arranged along a central axis. Spikelets several-flowered, plump, alternate in 2 rows, disarticulating above the glumes but not between the florets; 2-4 lowermost florets fertile, remainder smaller and sterile. Glumes unequal, membranous, shorter than the lemmas. Lemmas dorsally rounded, 5-11-nerved, tough and cartilaginous, appressed-villous; bearing a dorsal awn from just below the emarginate or 2-lobed apex. Worldwide: 2 species in eastern and southeastern Africa Zimbabwe: 1 taxon. |
|