Description:

• Annual or rarely perennial, tufted, often hygrophilous
• Leaf blade linear to linear-lanceolate, expanded; ligule an unfringed membrane
• Inflorescence a panicle, contracted, dense or much branched and divaricate, usually rigid, always much longer than broad, branches in pseudowhorls on a strongly developed central axis; spikelets solitary, pedicelled
• Spikelet 1-3 mm long, laterally compressed, disarticulating above glumes and between florets; glumes unequal to ± equal, shorter than spikelets, ovate to lanceolate, membranous, often subhyaline, keeled, 1-nerved, awnless
• Florets 2-10, bisexual, sometimes uppermost floret rudimentary; lemma 0.5-1.0 mm long, similar to firmer in texture to glumes, usually translucent or thinly coriaceous, glabrous, strongly keeled, often depressed between keels, 3-nerved, nerves distinct, rounded, emarginate or acute or sometimes somewhat erose, awnless; callus short, truncate, glabrous; palea subequal to lemma, membranous, 2-keeled, nerves strongly developed in lower part of keels, apex truncate or rounded, or 3-lobed
• Lodicules 2, truncate
• Stamens 2
• Ovary glabrous; styles terminal, plumose
• x = 10

Nomenclature:

• Diandrochloa De Winter
  • De Winter: 387 (1960)
  • Stapf: 630 (1900) under Eragrostis Wolf
  • De Winter: 182 (1955)
  • Clayton & Renvoize: 215 (1986), included in Eragrostis Wolf
  • Gibbs Russell et al.: 104 (1990)
  • Watson & Dallwitz: 313 (1994)

Distribution & Notes:

• Global: Species ± 7, Americas, Australia, Asia and Africa
• Southern Africa: Species 2, widespread but not recorded in Western Cape