Description :

• Annual or perennial, tufted or decumbent, often rooting at lower nodes, sometimes stoloniferous or rhizomatous
• Leaf blade narrow, linear, expanded, rarely folded; ligule an unfringed membrane
• Inflorescence a panicle, open or contracted, rarely spike-like, primary branches often fascicled on central axis; spikelets solitary, pedicelled
• Spikelet up to ± 5 mm long, laterally compressed, linear-lanceolate to oblong, small, often gaping, disarticulating above glumes, rachilla sometimes produced, rarely bearing rudiment of a second floret; glumes ± equal, as long as to longer than spikelet, similar in form, membranous, acuminate or acute, 1-nerved, keeled, awnless to rarely awned
• Floret 1, bisexual; lemma lanceolate or linear, less firm than glumes, thinly membranous to hyaline, hairy or glabrous, not keeled, 3-5-nerved, side nerves sometimes excurrent into mucros, awnless or awned from back below apex or from base, awn short, not extending beyond glumes; palea usually shorter than lemma, sometimes reduced or 0, 2-nerved or nerveless, thinly membranous, hyaline; callus small, glabrous or shortly pubescent with hairs up to half as long as lemma
• Lodicules 2, lanceolate or oblong, hyaline
• Stamens 3
• Ovary ellipsoid; styles very short; stigma plumose
• x = 7 (aneuploids, high polyploidy)

Nomenclature:

• Agrostis L.
  • Linnaeus: 61 (1753)
  • Stapf: 545 (1899)
  • Goossens & Papendorf: 172 (1945)
  • Chippindall: 96 (1955)
  • Launert: 20 (1970)
  • Clayton: 104 (1970)
  • Launert: 86 (1971)
  • Clayton & Renvoize: 134 (1986)
  • Gibbs Russell et al.: 32 (1990)
  • Rugolo de Agrasar & Molina: 179 (1992)
  • Watson & Dallwitz: 83 (1994)

Distribution & Notes:

• Global : Species ± 220, temperate regions throughout the world, and on mountains in the tropics
• Southern Africa : Species ± 12 (2 naturalised), widespread, but generally absent from the dry central regions