Small tufted perennials with fibrous or papery remains of old leaf-sheaths at the base, rarely annuals. Leaf-blades linear, flat or folded, obtuse to finely acute, sparsely to densely pilose or subglabrous. Inflorescence a single slender, straight, curved or coiled terminal spike bearing spikelets embedded in hollows arranged alternately in 2 opposite, subopposite or adjacent ranks; rhachis slender, spongy or herbaceous, tough or fracturing horizontally into segments of 111(-8) spikelets. Spikelets 1-2-flowered; lower glume adaxial, minutely hyaline and nerveless, rarely absent (resembling the upper in the terminal spikelet); upper glume abaxial, usually appressed to the rhachis, exceeding and covering the floret, lanceolate, herbaceous and tough, (1-)3-nerved, acute to finely awned; lemma elliptic, oblong or obovate when flattened, membranous, 1-3-nerved, keeled, apex 2-toothed and mucronate, the mucro rarely produced into an awn. Caryopsis elliptic-oblong or obovate.

A genus of 6 species in Africa, India, Pakistan, Burma and Sri Lanka; represented locally by a single species.

Lower Taxon

• Oropetium thomaeum (Linn.f.) Trin.

Related Synonym(s):

• Nardus thomaea Linn.f. = Oropetium thomaeum (Linn.f.) Trin.
• Rottboellia thomaea (Linn. f.) Willd. = Oropetium thomaeum (Linn.f.) Trin.