Infl. a compound or congested umbel, or a single spikelet. Spikelets several-fld, with ∞ spirally imbricating glumes; lowest 1–2 glumes empty, many or several succeeding glumes hermaphrodite and fertile; uppermost glumes male or sterile. Hypog. bristles 0. Stamens 1–3. Style 2–3-fid, with enlarged base distinct from the nut and caducous with the style. Nut trigonous or biconvex. Tufted annual or perennial herbs, lvs crowded at bases of culms, occ. reduced to sheaths only. Spp. c. 300 in tropical and warm temperate areas, especially plentiful in south-east Asia and north-east Australia. The single N.Z. sp. is found in most tropical and warm countries.