Description:
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A densely caespitose perennial with leaves mostly crowded near the base. Culms up to 60 cm. tall, usually 2-noded, compressed below, terete above, slender, simple or rarely branched below, erect or rarely ascending from a geniculate base, smooth, glabrous. Leaf-sheaths rather tight at first, later somewhat loose, inconspicuously keeled, smooth, glabrous, the lowermost long persistent and splitting into fibres. Ligules 1-3 mm. long, obtuse. Leaf-laminae 2-15(18) x 0·2-0·5 cm., linear, with the apex more or less abruptly narrowed into a subobtuse cucullate point, expanded or folded around the midrib, smooth or scaberulous on the upper surface and along the margins, usually glabrous. Panicle 5-15 cm. long, ovate or triangular to oblong-ovate in outline, erect or nodding, open or rather lax; rhachis slightly grooved, glabrous; branches solitary or paired, rather slender, flexuous, divided, bare of spikelets in the lower half, spreading or deflexed at maturity. Pedicels rather short, smooth or slightly scaberulous. Spikelets 4-6 mm. long, 3-5-flowered, usually crowded towards the apices of the branchlets, ovate-oblong in outline, pale-green, sometimes slightly tinged with purple. Glumes unequal; the inferior 2-3 mm. long, 1-nerved but occasionally with 1 or 2 short additional lateral nerves, ovate-oblong or narrowly elliptic, apex subacute; the superior 3-4 mm. long, 3-nerved, ovate to ovate-elliptic, apex subobtuse, sometimes retuse. Lemmas 4-4·5 mm. long, 5-nerved, broadly elliptic or ovate-oblong, apex obtuse, often slightly retuse, hyaline, dorsally pubescent or glabrous. Paleas c. 3·5 mm. long, scabrous along the keels. Anthers c. 2 mm. long. |