Chloris Sw.

Tufted or stoloniferous perennials or annuals. Leaf-sheath glabrous, striate. Ligule ciliate. Collar often with hairs. Leaf-blade flat or folded, somewhat scabrid. Culm usually branched, often 1 m, or more, internodes glabrous. Inflorescence of 2-several digitate or subdigitate, erect or spreading, spike-like persistent racemes. Spikelets sessile or shortly pedicelled in 2 secund rows on continuous rachis, disarticulating above glumes; lowest floret ☿, upper 1–6 florets usually Ø, often truncate, and if more than one, ± enclosed by first Ø floret. Glumes unequal with the lower shorter, narrow, keeled, acute to acuminate. Lemma of ☿ floret keeled, usually broad, 1–5-nerved, outer nerves submarginal, keel or marginal nerves villous or long-ciliate, apex entire, or bilobed with midnerve extended to slender awn, sometimes reduced to a mucro; lemma of upper florets reduced, awnless or awned. Palea ≈ lemma, 2-keeled, narrow. Callus inconspicuous. Lodicules 2 in ☿ florets, fleshy, glabrous. Stamens 3. Ovary glabrous, styles free. Caryopsis ± compressed, ellipsoid and trigonous to lanceolate and subterete; hilum punctiform or shortly elliptic.

[From: Edgar and Connor (2000) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 5 (second printing).]