Annual or perennial herbs. Leaf-blades flat or convolute; ligule a line of hairs or a membranous rim. Inflorescence a many sided cylindrical (‘bottle-brush”) spike or false spike (1-sided in Farrago), the spikelets single or in clusters of 2-5, these often heteromorphus or with involucral glumes, the spikelets or the spikelet clusters (modified racemes) falling entire from the tough main axis at maturity. Spikelets bisexual, 1-flowered, without rudimentary florets, sometimes ± reduced; glumes papyraceous to coriaceous, often asymmetrical, smooth or variously ornamented, awned or awnless, the upper as long as the spikelet, the lower often shorter or suppressed; lemma hyaline, 1-3-nerved, entire, awned or awnless; palea hyaline, usually a little shorter than the lemma; lodicules 2 or 0; stamens 2 or 3; stigmas 2. Grain with large embryo and punctiform hilum; starch grains compound. Chromosomes small, basic number 9 or 10.

Genera 12; tropics; 3 genera and 4 species in Pakistan.

An offshoot from Chlorideae in which the spikelets fall entire and are often considerably modified. The segregation of Perotis, in tribe Perotideae, is difficult to justify.

Lower Taxa

• Leptothrium Kunth
• Perotis Ait.
• Tragus Haller

Related Synonym(s):

• Latipes Kunth = Leptothrium Kunth
• Nazia Adans. = Tragus Haller