Description:

• Perennial, tufted
• Leaf blade linear, flat or rolled and filiform; ligule a fringed membrane to a fringe of hairs
• Inflorescence a single, terminal, 1-sided spike, (rarely paired and digitate); spikelets solitary, subsessile, appressed to axis
• Spikelet 3.0-4.4 mm long, often light golden brown, strongly laterally compressed, usually disarticulating above glumes, obtuse; glumes ± equal, longer than and enclosing spikelet, broad, dissimilar, keeled, 1-nerved, awnless
• Floret 1, bisexual, with rachilla extension occasionally with a reduced lemma, lower lemma less firm to similar in texture to glumes, membranous to hyaline, hairy, 3-nerved, obtuse to truncate, awnless, rarely with a short mucro; callus hairy; palea ciliate along nerves
• Lodicules 2, fleshy, glabrous
• Stamens 3
• Ovary glabrous
• Caryopsis ovoid

Nomenclature:

• Brachyachne (Benth.) Stapf
  • Stapf: 20 (1917)
  • Stapf: t. 3099 (1922)
  • Renvoize: 311 (1974)
  • Clayton & Renvoize: 243 (1986)
  • Gibbs Russell et al.: 69 (1990)
  • Watson & Dallwitz: 181 (1994)

Distribution & Notes:

• Global: Species ± 10, Africa, Java to Australia
• Southern Africa: Species 1: Brachyachne patentiflora (Stent & Rattray) C.E.Hubb., Namibia (Caprivi)