Description: Small tufted annuals.
Leaves with ligule a rim of hairs; blade inrolled, narrow, with long hairs at the sheath orifice.
Inflorescence a narrow panicle, pale or purplish.
Spikelets pedicellate, disarticulating above the glumes and between the lemmas; florets 4–9, bisexual. Glumes subequal, much longer than adjacent lemmas, acute, 5–7-nerved. Lemmas 9-nerved, rounded on the back, lowest lemma 2-lobed, mucronate, upper lemmas 2-toothed with a shorter mucro. Palea subequal to the lemma, 2-keeled.
Distribution and occurrence: World: c. 5 species, Africa, Mediterranean region, India. Australia: 2 species (naturalized), N.S.W., Vic., S.A., W.A.
Text by S. W. L. Jacobs & K. L. McClay Taxon concept:
One species in NSW: Schismus barbatus |
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