Description :

• Annual or perennial, tufted, sometimes decumbent, rhizomatous and stoloniferous, often creeping
• Leaf blade expanded, pectinate-ciliate on margins; ligule a short, fringed membrane or a fringe of hairs
• Inflorescence stiff, dense, cylindrical, spike-like; spikelets in subsessile deciduous clusters, each cluster composed of 2-5 spikelets on a reduced peduncle, sometimes peduncles long; spikelets of a cluster all alike or upper ± reduced
• Spikelet dorsiventrally compressed, lanceolate to ovate, falling in clusters with glumes; glumes unequal, dissimilar, awnless; lower glume a minute scale or suppressed; upper glume as long as spikelet, 5-7-nerved, nerves formed into prominent ribs bearing hooked, curved or straight prickles
• Floret 1, bisexual; lemma almost as long as upper glume, membranous, entire, 3-nerved, awnless; palea as long as lemma, 2-nerved
• Lodicules 2, broad, cuneate
• Stamens 3
• Ovary glabrous; styles distinct, plumose above
• Caryopsis ellipsoid to oblong, slightly dorsiventrally compressed
• x = 10 (polyploidy)

Nomenclature:

• Tragus Haller
  • Haller: 203 (1768) name conserved
  • Schweickerdt: 15 (1941)
  • Chippindall: 105 (1955)
  • Launert: 205 (1970)
  • Clayton: 399 (1974)
  • Clayton & Renvoize: 253 (1986)
  • Gibbs Russell et al.: 337 (1990)
  • Watson & Dallwitz: 957 (1994)

Distribution & Notes:

• Global : Species 7, throughout tropics but mainly Africa
• Southern Africa : Species 4, widespread in disturbed areas