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IMPERATA Cyr.
Plants hermaphroditic, caespitose or rhizomatous, perennial. Culms erect or ascending; internodes solid,
glabrous or hairy, terete; nodes glabrous or hairy. Leaves basal, not distinctly distichous; sheaths terete,
margins open; auricles present; ligules a ciliate membrane; blades flat, tapering at base and apex, apex
attenuate. Panicles of racemose branches contracted, terminal, sheaths subtending inflorescence
not inflated and spathe-like; primary branches rebranched, branches ascending, alternate not aromatic; pedicels
not with a longitudinal groove, hairy, terete. Spikelets paired (subtended by a tuff of long, silky, silver
hairs), similar in size and shape, disarticulation below the glumes, dorsiventrally compressed or terete,
short pediceled spikelets perfect, long pediceled spikelets perfect. Short pediceled spikelets perfect,
awnless, terete or doriventrally compressed. Long pediceled spikelets perfect, awnless, terete or
dorsiventrally compressed; first glumes 0-keeled, gland-like depressions or pits not present; abaxial surface
flat, smooth, membranous, glabrous, awnless; second glumes length equal to first glumes; lower floret
sterile, lemmas hyaline, entire, awnless; paleas absent; upper florets perfect, lemmas hyaline, entire
(acute), awnless; paleas present, hyaline. Stamens 1; anther brown. Caryopses nearly terete. Base
chromosome number x=10.
A small genus of about eight species distributed in the warmer parts of both hemispheres. The species are
adapted to saline, open habitats.
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