Description:

• Perennial or annual, tufted, stoloniferous
• Leaf blade expanded, mostly basal, cauline leaves few, linear, margins rigidly ciliate with tubercle-based hairs; ligule a fringed membrane
• Inflorescence a false bristly spike with clusters of spikelets on a reduced axis, clusters are of 2-4 bisexual spikelets, 1-3 sterile and reduced spikelets, these often reduced to bristles; spikelets shortly pedicelled, pedicels conspicuously hairy
• Spikelet 3-4 mm long, dorsiventrally compressed, falling with glumes; glumes unequal; lower glume reduced to a small membranous, nerveless scale; upper glume elliptic-lanceolate, 5-7-nerved, herbaceous, scabrid and hairy, awned; awn longer than glume, scabrid
• Floret 1, bisexual; lemma less firm than glumes, herbaceous, elliptic-lanceolate, hairy, 3-nerved, shortly awned; awn straight; callus present at base of clusters, hairy; palea broadly lanceolate, slightly thinner in texture than lemma
• Lodicules 2, cuneate, glabrous
• Stamens 3
• Ovary ellipsoid; stigmas plumose

Nomenclature:

• Monelytrum Hack. ex Schinz
  • Schinz: 140 (1888)
  • Schweickerdt: 71 (1946)
  • Chippindall: 110 (1955)
  • Launert: 131 (1970)
  • Clayton & Renvoize: 253 (1986)
  • Gibbs Russell et al.: 222 (1990)
  • Watson & Dallwitz: 618 (1994)

Distribution & Notes:

• Southern Africa: Species 1: Monelytrum luederitzianum Hack., Namibia to S Angola