Lophacme

Perennials. Inflorescence of subdigitate racemes on a common axis. Spikelets 3-7-flowered, strongly laterally flattened, disarticulating above the glumes and between the lowermost florets. Lowermost 1-3 florets fertile, the upper sterile and progressively reduced to a tuft of awns. Glumes slightly unequal, linear, 1-nerved; lower shorter than or slightly exceeding the lowest lemma; upper exceeding the florets. Fertile lemmas 3-nerved, acutely 2-lobed, with an awn from between the lobes. Sterile lemmas usually not lobed, tapering to the awn.