Description :

• Perennial, densely tufted, rhizomatous
• Leaf blade often rolled, reddish brown when dry; ligule a dense fringe of hairs
• Inflorescence a panicle, erect, narrow, usually interrupted, branches solitary or paired; spikelets solitary, pedicelled
• Spikelet not noticeably compressed, disarticulating above glumes; glumes ± equal, narrow, acute to acuminate, flat to rounded on back, with or without apical awns, glabrous; lower glume usually 3-nerved; upper glume 3-5-nerved, nerves evanescent
• Floret l, bisexual; lemma firmer than glumes, coriaceous, subcylindrical, somewhat dorsiventrally compressed, slightly tapering upwards, grooved ventrally with involute margins, glabrous and smooth or scabrid, 3-nerved, without an articulation, 3-awned; awns glabrous or scabrid, spreading, collectively laxly spirally contorted at base when mature, column, when present, somewhat twisted; callus well developed, acute, obtuse or shallowly bifid, densely but shortly hairy; palea small, scale-like, not indurated, usually coriaceous below, 2-keeled, 2-nerved, apex obtuse
• Lodicules 2, membranous, ± as long as palea, many-nerved
• Stamens 3
• Ovary glabrous; styles distinct, plumose
• Caryopsis dorsiventrally compressed, with deep ventral groove
• x = 11

Nomenclature:

• Sartidia De Winter
  • De Winter: 137 (1963)
  • De Winter: 381 (1965)
  • Melderis: 95 (1971)
  • Clayton & Renvoize: 185 (1986)
  • Gibbs Russell et al.: 286 (1990)
  • Watson & Dallwitz: 836 (1994)

Distribution & Notes:

• Global : Species 4, Africa and Madagascar
• Southern Africa : Species 3, N Namibia, Northern Province and Mpumalanga