Description: Caespitose perennials. Racemes digitately or subdigitately arranged, 2 or 3 per inflorescence, silky-villous, erect, spike-like; rachis readily disarticulating.
Spikelets in pairs, similar, with 1 bisexual floret, 1 sessile, the other pedicellate. The pedicellate spikelets fall from pedicels, the sessile spikelet falling with the rachis joint and the pedicel. Glumes equal, rigidly membranous to papery; lower glume dorsally compressed, 2-keeled. Lemmas 1 or 2, hyaline, the lower minute or absent; the upper very short, 2-fid, with an awn arising between the lobes. Palea small or absent. Lodicules 2, small, cuneate. Stamens 3; stigmas plumose. Hilum basal.
Distribution and occurrence: World: c. 30 species, Old World tropical regions. Australia: 4 species (native), all mainland States.
Text by S. W. L. Jacobs & C. A. Wall Taxon concept:
One species in NSW: Eulalia aurea |
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