Tufted perennials, sometimes short-lived, or annuals; innovations intra- or extravaginal. Leaf-sheaths rounded at back; ligule membranous; leaf-blades flat, or folded with inrolled margins. Culms erect or geniculately ascending, fragile at maturity; nodes glabrous. Inflorescence a lax, often delicately branched panicle; at maturity completely detached from the plant together with a fragment of the uppermost culm internode, or, in annual plants, soon withering and persisting. Spikelets small, 1- or occasionally 2-flowered, laterally compressed; rachilla disarticulating above glumes, often prolonged, tipped with soft hairs and almost equalling the palea, or rachilla prolongation minute and glabrous or not visible under the light microscope. Glumes ± equal and equalling the spikelet, ovate-elliptic to lanceolate, acute, membranous, often shining, 1-(3)-nerved, with the outer nerves, if present, very short, keel ± scabrous. Lemma < and thinner in texture than glumes, rarely (L. tenuis) ± = glumes and firmer, elliptic-oblong, truncate, rounded at back, (3)-5-nerved, often denticulate and with lateral nerves minutely excurrent, usually with dense or sparse, soft, fine hairs, or sometimes hairless, rarely (L. tenuis) finely scabrous; awn dorsal, finely scabrous, geniculate or straight, ± mid-dorsal or very short and from just below tip, rarely 0. Palea from ½ to c. = lemma, hyaline, with 2 usually faint keels close together at centre. Callus minute, blunt, with short, soft hairs, to ½ or rarely to 2/3 length of lemma, sometimes 0. Lodicules 2, linear to lanceolate, hyaline, glabrous. Stamens 3; anthers not penicillate. Ovary glabrous; styles distinct, free to base, short; stigmas 2, plumose. Caryopsis fusiform; embryo small; endosperm doughy or dry.

Tufted, sometimes short-lived perennials, or annuals; branching intra- or extravaginal. Leaf-sheath rounded. Ligule membranous. Leaf-blade flat, or folded with inrolled margins. Culm erect or geniculately ascending, fragile at maturity; nodes glabrous. Inflorescence a lax, often delicately branched panicle; at maturity completely detached from the plant together with a fragment of the uppermost culm internode, or, in annual plants, soon withering and persisting. Spikelets small, 1- or occasionally 2-flowered, laterally compressed; disarticulation above glumes; rachilla often prolonged, tipped with soft hairs and almost equalling the palea, or prolongation minute and glabrous. Glumes ± equal and equalling the spikelet, ovate-elliptic to lanceolate, acute, membranous, often shining, 1-(3)-nerved, lateral nerves, if present, very short; keel ± scabrid. Lemma &lt;, and thinner in texture than glumes, rarely () ≈ glumes and firmer, elliptic-oblong, truncate, rounded, (3)-5-nerved, often denticulate and with lateral nerves minutely excurrent, usually with dense or sparse, soft, fine hairs, or sometimes glabrous, rarely (L. tenuis) finely scabrid; awn, finely scabrid, geniculate or straight, ± middorsal or very short and subapical, rarely 0. Palea from ½ to ≈ lemma, hyaline, keels 2, usually faint, close together at centre. Callus minute, blunt, with short, soft hairs, to ½ or rarely to ⅔ length of lemma, sometimes 0. Lodicules 2, linear to lanceolate, hyaline, glabrous. Stamens 3; anthers not penicillate. Ovary glabrous; styles distinct, free to base, short; stigmas 2, plumose. Caryopsis fusiform; embryo small; endosperm doughy or dry. Chasmogamous (N.Z. spp.). Fig. 9.