Description:

• Annual or perennial, tufted
• Leaf blade expanded, rarely rolled, usually linear-lanceolate, blades and sheaths pilose with bulbous-based hairs or glabrous; ligule a fringed membrane or a fringe of hairs
• Inflorescence a panicle, contracted and narrow or open and spreading; spikelets pedicelled, pedicels capillary
• Spikelet symmetrical or asymmetrical in profile; laterally or dorsiventrally compressed or not noticeably compressed, glabrous to densely hairy; glumes unequal, dissimilar, awnless or awned; lower glume reduced to a minute scale or rim or absent, sometimes distant from upper glume, nerveless to 1-nerved; upper glume as long as spikelet, sometimes gibbous, emarginated to 2-lobed at apex, often awned from between lobes, sometimes tapering to a beak above, finely or prominently 5-9-nerved
• Florets 2; lower floret male or sterile; lemma resembling upper glume but narrower, often hairy, 3-7-nerved, awnless or usually awned; palea present or 0, when present scaberulous or ciliate on margins; upper floret bisexual; lemma less firm to similar in texture as glumes, smaller than lower lemma, often deciduous before rest of spikelet, smooth, glabrous, margins flat and ± covering palea; palea similar to upper lemma
• Lodicules 3, very delicate
• Stamens 3
• Ovary ellipsoid, glabrous; style free, plumose
• Caryopsis oblong to oblong-ellipsoid
• x = 9 (polyploidy)

Nomenclature:

• Melinis P.Beauv.
  • Palisot de Beauvois: 54 (1812)
  • Stapf: 447 (1899)
  • Stent: 257 (1924)
  • Chippindall: 426 (1955)
  • Clayton & Renvoize: 505 (1982)
  • Clayton & Renvoize: 295 (1986)
  • Zizka: 50 (1988)
  • Zizka: 115 (1989)
  • Gibbs Russell et al.: 210 (1990)
  • Watson & Dallwitz: 589 (1994)
• Rhynchelytrum Nees
  • Nees ab Esenbeck: 446 (1936)
  • Chippindall: 428 (1955)
  • Clayton & Renvoize: 295 (1986)
  • Watson & Dallwitz: 822 (1994)

Distribution & Notes:

• Global: Species 20, mainly Africa, also on other continents but possibly introduced there
• Southern Africa: Species 10, widespread