Annuals or perennials, culms hollow. Leaf ligule a fringe of hairs; blade linear or setaceous. Inflorescence
an open or contracted panicle branching from all sides. Spikelets articulated with pedicels,
often conspicuous by white, cream-coloured, lilac, pink or purple hairs, ovate, laterally compessed, 2-
flowered; pedicels widened at apex; rachilla articulated at base of upper lemma, sometimes internode
between glumes distinct; lower glume at most as long as spikelet, usually smaller, rarely an obsolete
rim; upper glume at most as long as spikelets, herbaceous, 5-veined, usually convex in lower half and
attenuate upwards into beak-like apex, awnless or awned between lobes, awn straight, thread-like; lower
lemma like upper glume or narrower and less convex; lower palea as long, narrower with 2 hairy or
scaberulous keels; upper lemma smaller, glabous and glossy, membranaceous or herbaceous, muticous;
upper palea equally long, hyaline, glabrous, 2-veined; lodicules 2, small; stamens 3, anthers linear;
ovary glabrous, styles 2, free, stigma plumose, laterally exserted. Caryopsis tightly enclosed between
upper palea and upper lemma, free, oblong, hilum punctiform, basal, embryo 1/2 as long as caryopsis.
About 14 species in tropical Africa. One species naturalized in Taiwan.
midrib 中肋: (sm)small:with one vascular bundle
leaf surface 表面: (sha)upper surface with shallow notch between the veins
sclerenchyma 厚壁組織: (boscl)(bostr)on both sides of veins as strand or girder
chlorenchyma 葉綠組織: (radia)cells radiate and lesser than bundle sheath cell in width
bundle sheath 維管束鞘: (dko)two bundle sheaths the outer one with conspicuous chloroplast
buliform cells well developed 泡狀細胞發達: mainly appear in adaxial side
no small vein under buliform cells泡狀細胞下無小脈: (bcfan)bulliform cell with colorless cells extend beneath it
chlorenchyma cell number between two adjacent veins: 2
chloroplast form in bundle sheath 束鞘細胞內之葉綠體型式: (out)large amount and in centrifugal site
mestome sheath 內束鞘細胞: (Xyms+)metaxylem pole adjacent with mestome sheath
distance between two adjancent vein 脈間距: 120 micrometer
length/weidth ratio of bundle sheath in LS 束鞘細胞縱面長寬比: 1
chlorenchyma cell shape in LS 葉綠細胞縱面形狀: lobed
