Flora of New Zealand Series

Type species: C. dactylon (L.) Pers.

Perennials, rhizomatous and stoloniferous, rooting at nodes and sending up tufts of erect flowering shoots. Leaf-sheath glabrous, short, ± rounded. Ligule membranous, often ciliate. Leaf-blade flat, glabrous to loosely short-hairy; margins scabrid. Culm erect or geniculate at base, internodes glabrous. Inflorescence of 2-6 narrow, digitate, slender, persistent, spike-like racemes; rachis with 2 secund rows of imbricate spikelets. Spikelets ± sessile, laterally compressed, 1-flowered, ⚥, rarely with a second vestigial floret; disarticulation above or between glumes. Glumes ± equal, acute, keeled; lower 1-nerved, subpersistent, upper 1-3-nerved, usually deciduous with lemma. Lemma > glumes, naviculate, firmly membranous, 3-nerved, lateral nerves close to margins, awnless, keel ciliate, wingless or narrowly winged. Palea ≈ lemma, 2-keeled. Lodicules 2, minute, obovate-cuneate, glabrous. Stamens 3. Ovary glabrous; styles free to base; stigmas plumose. Caryopsis oblong, subterete; embryo c. ⅓ length of caryopsis; hilum linear, c. ⅔ length of caryopsis.

c. 8 spp. of tropical and warm temperate regions. Naturalised sp. 1.