Unless indicated otherwise, the following attributes are implicit throughout the descriptions, except where the characters concerned are inapplicable.
Habit, vegetative morphology. Not reeds. Culms not scandent; not tuberous. Plants unarmed (except in Bambuseae, where unstated means unknown); without multicellular glands. The shoots not aromatic. Leaves clearly differentiated into sheath and blade; distichous; without auricular setae (except in Bambusoideae, where unstated means unknown). Sheath margins free. Leaf blades not all greatly reduced; neither leathery nor flimsy; not cordate, not sagittate; not setaceous; not needle-like; not pseudopetiolate; parallel veined; ligule present (at least on lower leaves).
Reproductive organization. The spikelets all alike in sexuality (on the same plant: ‘homogamous’); hermaphrodite. Plants chasmogamous; without hidden cleistogenes. The hidden cleistogenes (when present) in the leaf sheaths. Reproducing sexually. Not viviparous.
Inflorescence. Inflorescence determinate; without pseudospikelets; many spikeleted; not deciduous; without conspicuously divaricate branchlets; without capillary branchlets; non-digitate. Inflorescence with axes ending in spikelets. Rachides neither flattened nor hollowed, not winged. Spikelet-bearing axes persistent (not disarticulating). The pedicels and rachis internodes without a longitudinal, translucent furrow. Spikelets unaccompanied by bractiform involucres, not associated with setiform vestigial branches; not in distinct ‘long-and-short’ combinations.
Female-sterile spikelets. The staminal filaments free.
Female-fertile spikelets. Spikelets morphologically ‘conventional’.
Glumes present; relatively large; free; not ventricose; without conspicuous tufts or rows of hairs; without a median keel-wing. Lower glume not two-keeled (except in Andropogonodae, where unstated means unknown); not pitted. Upper glume not saccate; not prickly. Palea of the proximal incomplete florets not becoming conspicuously hardened and enlarged laterally.
Lemmas not conspicuously non-distichous; not convolute; without a crown; not crested. Awns not of the triple/trifid, basal column type; not hooked. The hairs not in tufts; not in transverse rows. Palea not convolute. Stamens with free filaments. Ovary without a conspicuous apical appendage.
Fruit, embryo and seedling. Fruit not grooved; smooth. Pericarp thin; fused (except in Arundinoideae and Chloridoideae, where unstated means unknown). Seed endospermic.
Abaxial leaf blade epidermis. Intercostal zones with typical long-cells. Subsidiaries not including both parallel-sided and triangular forms on the same leaf. Crown cells absent. Costal zones with short-cells. Costal silica bodies not sharp-pointed.
Transverse section of leaf blade, physiology. Leaf blades ‘laminar’ (rather than consisting entirely of midrib).
The anatomical organization when known to be C4, conventional. Mesophyll not Isachne-type; without ‘circular cells’; not traversed by colourless columns; without arm cells; without fusoids. Midrib without colourless mesophyll adaxially. Bulliforms nowhere involved in bulliform-plus-colourless mesophyll arches.
Special diagnostic feature. Spikelets not borne as in ‘Anadelphia scyphofera’ (q.v.). Plant not as in Anomochloa (q.v.). The inflorescences not as in Atractantha (q.v.). Lemmas not as in Briza (q.v.). Lemma not wing-awned. Inflorescence not as in Buchloë (q.v.). Upper glume not as in Centrochloa (q.v.). Inflorescences not as in Coix (q.v.). Spikelets not borne as in Cornucopiae (q.v.). Lemmas without the characteristic Corynephorus awn. Plants not as in Cyperochloa (q.v.). Fruit not as in Diarrhena (q.v.). Plants not as in Dichanthelium (q.v.). Without the sessile/pedicellate spikelet pairs characteristic of Diectomis. No Eriochloa-type ‘callus’. Plants not as in Hubbardia (q.v.). The adaxial surface of the leaf blade not as in Hydrothauma (q.v.). Plants not as in Hygroryza (q.v.). The upper part of the lemma without pappus-like hairs. Not having female spikelets as in Leptaspis and Scrotochloa (q.v.). Female-fertile lemma not as in Lombardochloa (q.v.). Spikelets not as in Lopholepis (q.v.). Plant and inflorescence not as in Lygeum (q.v.). Spikelets not arranged as in Manisuris (q.v.). Spikelets without a terminal clavate appendage. Spikelet not as in Nassella (q.v.). The inflorescence not as in Odontelytrum (q.v.). The lower lemma not resembling a Bothriochloa pedicel in appearance, and without a pair of hygroscopically active setae. Seed not as in Phaenosperma (q.v.). Spikelets not borne on a broad, leaflike rachis. Not scandent as in Prosphytochloa (q.v.). Female-fertile lemma not as in Rhynchoryza (q.v.). Not rush-like. Inflorescence not as in Spinifex (q.v.). Plants not as in Steyermarkochloa (q.v.). Flowering culms not as in Thuarea (q.v.). Lower glume without a Thyridolepis-type window (q.v.). The inflorescence not as in Viguierella (q.v.). Fruiting inflorescence not as in maize (q.v.). Plants not as in Zygochloa (q.v.).
Rusts and smuts. Rusts — no rusts recorded (by Cummins, 1971). Smuts not recorded (but see qualification).
Special comments. Fruit data more or less satisfactory. Anatomical data more or less satisfactory.
Cite this publication as: Watson, L., and Dallwitz, M. J. (1992 onwards). ‘Grass Genera of the World: Descriptions, Illustrations, Identification, and Information Retrieval; including Synonyms, Morphology, Anatomy, Physiology, Phytochemistry, Cytology, Classification, Pathogens, World and Local Distribution, and References.’ http://biodiversity.uno.edu/delta/. Version: 18th August 1999. Dallwitz (1980), Dallwitz, Paine and Zurcher (1993 onwards, 1998), and Watson and Dallwitz (1994), and Watson, Dallwitz, and Johnston (1986) should also be cited (see References).