Description:

• Perennial, tufted
• Leaf blade narrowly linear to linear, expanded or rolled; ligule a fringe of hairs
• Inflorescence an open or contracted, rarely spike-like panicle; spikelets solitary or in pairs, rarely in threes, pedicelled, pedicels free, stout, often of unequal lengths, usually longest pedicel ± twice as long as shortest pedicel
• Spikelet 6-28 mm long, usually brown, laterally to not noticeably compressed, disarticulating above glumes; glumes very unequal, chartaceous to coriaceous, 3-nerved, glabrous or coarsely hairy, hairs with black or brown tubercles, awnless or shortly awned; lower glume usually ovate or ovate-elliptic, acuminate, acute, obtuse or truncate, rarely setaceously acuminate, up to half as long as upper; upper glume linear-lanceolate or lanceolate, obtuse or truncate, less often acute and rarely setaceously acuminate, as long as or nearly as long as spikelet
• Florets 2, lower floret male or rarely sterile; lemma 3-5-nerved; upper floret bisexual; lemma similar to firmer in texture than glumes, thinly coriaceous, linear to linear-lanceolate, rounded on back, 5-9-nerved, glabrous to hairy, hairs not in tufts, shortly or deeply 2-lobed, lobes obtuse or acute, awned from between 2 lobes or from apex; awn geniculate, strongly twisted below, up to 4 times as long as spikelet; callus short to long, oblong to linear, truncate, 2-toothed or obliquely pungent, hairy; palea linear to linear-lanceolate, shorter or up to as long as lemma, 2-keeled, keels with thickened nerves, wingless, membranous
• Lodicules 2, linear or narrowly cuneate
• Stamens 2 or 3
• Ovary glabrous; styles free, plumose
• Caryopsis narrowly ovoid
• x = 6, 12 (polyploidy)

Nomenclature:

• Loudetia Hochst. ex Steud.
  • Steudel: 238 (1854)
  • Stapf: 452 (1899)
  • Stent: 287 (1924)
  • Chippindall: 279 (1955)
  • Conert: 247 (1957)
  • Phipps: 87 (1964)
  • Clayton: 122 (1967)
  • Launert: 126 (1970)
  • Clayton: 415 (1974)
  • Clayton & Renvoize: 319 (1986)
  • Clayton: 216 (1989)
  • Gibbs Russell et al.: 205 (1990)
  • Watson & Dallwitz: 567 (1994)

Distribution & Notes:

• Global: Species ± 26, mostly tropical Africa, also Madagascar and South America
• Southern Africa: Species 6, N Namibia, Botswana, northern provinces of South Africa, Swaziland and KwaZulu-Natal