Perennial or annual, tufted, sometimes stoloniferous or rhizomatous
Leaf blade narrow, expanded, flat or rolled; ligule a fringe of hairs
Inflorescence a dense, contracted panicle; spikelets solitary
Spikelet 4.0-7.0 mm long, laterally compressed, acute, disarticulating above glumes and between florets; glumes ± equal, as long as spikelet, membranous, margins and apices hyaline, glabrous, 3-5(7)-nerved, awnless
Florets 3-7; lower florets bisexual; uppermost florets reduced; lemma similar in texture to glumes, membranous, margins and apex hyaline, broadly elliptic or ovate; rounded on back, 9-nerved, scabrid, hairy, hairs in fringes, tufts or in rows, usually across middle of back or margins especially in lower half, 2-lobed, lobes awnless or awned; awn fine, straight; central awn from between lobes, awn as long as to longer than body of lemma, geniculate, twisted in lower part; callus short, blunt, hairy; palea membranous, margins narrowly hyaline, glabrous or shortly pilose, prominently 2-keeled, 2-nerved, nerves ciliate, lower part glabrous or pilose
Clayton & Renvoize: 175 (1986) under Rytidosperma Steud.
Gibbs Russell et al.: 192 (1990)
Watson & Dallwitz: 510 (1994)
Danthonia Stapf
Stapf: 516 (1899) in part
Distribution & Notes:
Southern Africa: Species 4, mainly S Namibia, Free State, Lesotho, Northern, Western and Eastern Cape
References:
CHIPPINDALL, L.K.A. 1955. A guide to the identification of grasses in South Africa. In D. Meredith, The grasses and pastures of South Africa. Central News Agency, Cape Town
CLAYTON, W.D. & RENVOIZE S.A. 1986. Genera graminum. Grasses of the world. Kew Bulletin. Additional series 13
CONERT, H.J. 1965. Über den Verwandtschaftskreis der Danthonia curva (Gramineae, Festucoideae, Danthonieae). Senckenbergiana Biologica 46
CONERT, H.J. & TÜRPE, A.M. 1969. Karroochloa, eine neue Gattung der Gramineen (Poaceae, Arundinoideae, Danthonieae). Senckenbergiana Biologica 50
GIBBS RUSSELL, G.E., WATSON, L., KOEKEMOER, M., SMOOK, L., BARKER, N.P., ANDERSON, H.M. & DALLWITZ. M.J. 1990. Grasses of southern Africa. Memoirs of the Botanical Survey of South Africa No. 58
LAUNERT, E. 1970. Gramineae. Prodromus einer Flora von Südwestafrika 160
STAPF, O. 1898-1900. Gramineae. Flora capensis 7
WATSON, L. & DALLWITZ, M.J. 1994. The grass genera of the world, revised edn. CAB International, Oxon
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