Capriola Adanson, nom. rej.; Dactilon Villars, nom. rej.

Perennials, rhizomatous or stoloniferous, sometimes sward forming. Culms slender to robust, leafy, internodes short. Leaf blades broadly linear to filiform, flat; ligule membranous or ciliate. Inflorescence digitate or sometimes 2 or more closely spaced whorls; racemes unilateral, slender; spikelets sessile, imbricate, biseriate; rachis flat or semiterete. Spikelets strongly laterally compressed, floret 1, with or without rachilla extension (very rarely 2nd floret present), narrowly ovate, awnless, disarticulating above glumes; glumes subequal, shorter or as long as floret, narrow, herbaceous, 1-veined or upper glume 3-veined, apex acuminate, both or only lower glume persistent; lemma keeled, boat-shaped, cartilaginous, 3-veined, usually pubescent on keel, apex entire, awnless. Caryopsis ellipsoid, laterally compressed. x = 9, 10.

Ten species: tropics of the Old World, especially Africa, one species pantropical extending into warm-temperate regions; two species in China.

(Authors: Sun Bixing (孙必兴 Sun Bi-sin); Sylvia M. Phillips)