Description:

• Annual or perennial
• Leaf blade linear to lanceolate; ligule unfringed or a fringed membrane or fringe of hairs, rarely absent on all or only upper leaves
• Inflorescence of 1-many, usually 1-sided, spike-like racemes scattered up central axis, rarely spike-like or like a panicle, rachis 3-angled or flattened; spikelets solitary, paired or clustered, often sessile or pedicelled, often orientated with lower glume adjacent to rachis of raceme (adaxial)
• Spikelet not noticeably to dorsiventrally compressed, disarticulating with glumes or above them, ovate to oblong, plump, obtuse to acute, rarely softly long-hairy; glumes unequal in size, rarely ± equal, dissimilar, awnless; lower glume usually shorter than spikelet, membranous, obtuse at apex, 1-7-nerved; upper glume usually as long as spikelet and similar to lower lemma, acuminate, 5-11-nerved
• Florets 2; lower floret male or sterile with lemma similar to upper glume, 5-7-nerved, palea shorter than lemma, membranous; upper floret bisexual, lemma firmer than glumes, crustaceous, faintly 5-nerved, glabrous, margins inrolled and covering only edges of palea, awnless; palea obtuse to subacute, firm with two marginal flaps at base
• Lodicules 2, broadly cuneate
• Stamens 3
• Ovary ovoid; styles plumose above
• Caryopsis ellipsoid, dorsiventrally compressed
• x = 7, 9 (high polyploidy)

Nomenclature:

• Brachiaria (Trin.) Griseb.
  • Trinius: 194 (1834)
  • Grisebach: 496 (1853)
  • Stapf: 383 (1898)
  • Chippindall: 370 (1955)
  • Clayton & Renvoize: 575 (1982)
  • Clayton & Renvoize: 283 (1986)
  • Webster: 15 (1987)
  • Clayton: 62 (1989)
  • Gibbs Russell et al.: 63 (1990)
  • Morrone & Zuloaga: 43 (1992)
  • Watson & Dallwitz: 179 (1994)
• Pseudobrachiaria Launert
  • Launert: 156 (1970a)
  • Launert: 158 (1970b)

Distribution & Notes:

• Global: Species ± 100, tropics, mainly Old World
• Southern Africa: Species 21, widespread