27. Machaerina

Herbs, perennial, often with long scaly rhizomes. Culms tufted, erect, flattened, angular, or terete, usually smooth, rarely rough. Leaves distichous; basal sheaths brown to purplish; ligule absent; leaf blade unifacial, compressed or terete, sometimes reduced to a sheath. Involucral bracts sheathing and with a short blade. Inflorescences paniculate, consisting of few to several partial panicles, main axis often sinuous. Spikelets often clustered, rarely solitary, ovoid to narrowly ovoid, compressed. Glumes distichous, basal 1 or 2 flowers bisexual, apical flower(s) male. Perianth bristles absent. Stamens 3. Style base distinctly thickened, conic or pyramidal, persistent; stigmas 3. Nutlet stipitate or sessile, ovoid, oblong, or oblong-ellipsoid, ± terete or 3-sided, smooth or rugulose, apex beaked. About 50 species: mostly tropical and temperate regions, especially Australia; three species (two endemic) in China.