Description :

• Perennial, densely tufted, rhizomatous
• Leaf blade rolling early, glabrous except at sheath-mouth; ligule a dense fringe of hairs
• Inflorescence of few to many dense, secund spikes mostly scattered on a central axis, usually appressed to axis
• Spikelet laterally compressed, falling with glumes, not disarticulating between florets; glumes ± equal, shorter than spikelet, glabrous, keels winged, 1-nerved, awnless
• Florets 5 or 6, lowest 2 florets reduced to lemmas; uppermost floret reduced; the rest bisexual; sterile lemma similar to glumes; bisexual lemma 5-nerved, entire, keeled, hairy on keel, slightly winged, awnless; palea equalling or subequalling lemma, 2-keeled, keels winged
• Lodicules 2, small, cuneate, glabrous
• Stamens 3
• Ovary glabrous; styles distinct, plumose above
• x = 10

Nomenclature:

• Tetrachne Nees
  • Nees ab Esenbeck: 375 (1841)
  • Stapf: 709 (1900)
  • Chippindall: 188 (1955)
  • Clayton & Renvoize: 201 (1986)
  • Gibbs Russell et al.: 331 (1990)
  • Watson & Dallwitz: 931 (1994)

Distribution & Notes:

• Global : Species 1: Tetrachne dregei Nees, southern Africa and Pakistan
• Southern Africa : Free State, Lesotho and mountains of Eastern Cape