n = 28 bivalents

2n = 56

2n = 56

Open, bluish green or light green, annual or shortlived perennial tufts, (12)-20-70 cm tall, whole plant often withering early and culms not breaking up below panicle; innovations intravaginal. Leafsheaths firmly membranous, distinctly nerved, glabrous below, very finely scabrous above, light green, later light brown; ligule (1)—2—5 mm, oblong, rounded across top or tapered, later lacerate, abaxially with sparse prickle teeth; leaf-blades 2.5- 8—(18) cm × 1.5-3 mm, usually flat, sometimes involute and 0.5-1 mm diam., both surfaces glabrous or scabrous on nerves, margins very finely scabrous, tip fine, acute. Culms 10-35 cm tall, erect to spreading, usually densely, minutely scabrous, occasionally glabrous. Panicle 9-30 × (0.5)-2-25 cm, delicate, enclosed at the base by the uppermost leaf sheath, at first contracted, later very lax; branchlets filiform, numerous, unequal, very finely scabrous, the main branchlets naked for much of their length, with spikelets in clusters of 2-several, towards tips of the much shorter capillary secondary branchlets. Spikelets 2.5-3.5-(4.2) mm, pale silvery green to purplish. Glumes subequal, acute to acuminate, with the lower glume usually slightly longer and more acuminate, very narrow linear-lanceolate, keel scabrous almost to base, elsewhere usually smooth, membranous. Lemma 1.3—2—(2.3) mm, ½-2/3 length of glumes, 5- nerved, moderately covered with very short hairs, oblong-ovate, glabrous near hyaline, truncate, erose tip, lateral nerves very shortly excurrent; awn 3 - 6 mm, geniculate, + mid-dorsal or from c. upper 1/3. Palea ¾-4/5 lemma, keels c. 0.1 mm apart, tip subobtuse. Callus with dense ring of minute hairs 0.3- 0.4 mm, to ¼ length of lemma. Lodicules 0.5- 0.9 mm, linear, acute. Rachilla 0, or to c. 0.3 mm tipped with hairs to c. 0.8 mm. Anthers 0.2-0.5 mm. Caryopsis 0.8-1.3 × 0.3-0.5 mm. Also indigenous to Australia, New Guinea, and Easter I.; naturalised in South America, South Africa, and Malesia.

Open, bluish green or light green, annual or short-lived perennial tufts, (12)-20-70 cm, whole plant often withering early and culms not breaking up below panicle; branching intravaginal. Leaf-sheath firmly membranous, distinctly ribbed, glabrous below, very finely scabrid above, light green, later light brown. Ligule (1)-2-5 mm, oblong, rounded or tapered, later lacerate, abaxially with sparse prickle-teeth. Leaf-blade 2.5-8-(18) cm × 1.5-3 mm, usually flat, sometimes involute and 0.5-1 mm diam., glabrous, or ribs scabrid; margins very finely scabrid, tip fine, acute. Culm 10-35 cm, erect to spreading, internodes usually densely, minutely scabrid, occasionally smooth. Panicle 9-30 × (0.5)-2-25 cm, delicate, enclosed at base by the uppermost leaf-sheath, at first contracted, later very lax; branches filiform, numerous, unequal, very finely scabrid, primary branches naked for much of their length, with spikelets in clusters of 2-several, towards tips of the much shorter capillary secondary branchlets. Spikelets 2.5-3.5-(4.2) mm, pale silvery green to purplish. Glumes subequal, acute to acuminate, usually glabrous, membranous, very narrow linear-lanceolate, lower glume usually slightly longer and more acuminate; keel scabrid almost to base. Lemma 1.3-2-(2.3) mm, ½-⅔ length of glumes, 5-nerved, moderately covered with very short hairs, oblong-ovate, glabrous near hyaline, truncate, erose apex, lateral nerves very shortly excurrent; awn 3-6 mm, geniculate, ± middorsal or from c. upper ⅓. Palea ¾-⅘ length of lemma, keels c. 0.1 mm apart, apex subobtuse. Callus ringed by minute hairs 0.3-0.4 mm, to ¼ length of lemma. Rachilla prolongation 0, or to c. 0.3 mm tipped with hairs to c. 0.8 mm. Lodicules 0.5-0.9 mm, linear, acute. Anthers 0.2-0.5 mm. Caryopsis 0.8-1.3 × 0.3-0.5 mm.