Description:

• Annuals or perennials, mainly tufted
• Culms with basal nodes
• Leaves basal, ligulate or eligulate; sheath with adaxial apex truncate; blade linear, sometimes 0, without keeled midrib, profile V-shaped or crescentiform
• lnflorescence a simple, compound, or congested umbel, or single spikelet
• Spikelets of many, usually spirally arranged, imbricate glumes; glumes very rarely subdistichous, lowest 1 or 2 empty, several to many above bisexual, fertile, uppermost with male florets or empty
• Perianth 0
• Stamens 1-3
• Style 2- or 3-fid, villous or glabrous, with base enlarged and constricted above ovary and wholly caducous
• Nutlet obovate, biconvex or 3-angled, smooth or trabeculate
• x = 3, 5 (8, 11) (aneuploids, polyploidy)

Classification Notes:

• The problem of the interrelationship between the generic concepts of Fimbristylis, Abildgaardia and Bulbostylis is discussed by Lye: 539 (1971) and Gordon-Gray: 549 (1971) respectively
• Lye took positive action by making transfers from Bulbostylis to Abildgaardia, whereas Gordon-Gray expressed reservations
• Gordon-Gray (1995) has accepted the genus as here defined
• Recently Lye: 106 (1995) has again accepted the genus Bulbostylis; the differences between Abildgaardia and Bulbostylis are summarised by Lye: 595 (1996)

Nomenclature:

• Fimbristylis Vahl
  • Vahl: 285 (1805) name conserved
  • Clarke:199 (1898)
  • Clarke: 411 (1902)
  • Schonland: 33 (1922)
  • Podlech: 21 (1967)
  • Gordon-Gray: 549 (1971) including Abildgaardia Vahl
  • Gordon-Gray: 110 (1972)
  • Compton: 71 (1976)
  • Bond & Goldblatt: 42 (1984)
  • Forbes: 47 (1987)
  • Gordon-Gray: 89 (1995)

Distribution & Notes:

• Global: Species ± 300, ± cosmopolitan in warm and temperate regions
• Southern Africa: Species ± 8, widespread in Namibia, Botswana, Northern Province, North-West, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Free State, Swaziland, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern and Northern Cape