Greek mikros – small, laina or chlaine – cloak, referring to the two tiny outer glumes.
Wiry perennial stoloniferous and/or tufted grasses. Leaf blades linear to lanceolate, rolled in bud. Ligule membranous. Inflorescence an open raceme. Spikelets laterally flattened, solitary, 3-flowered with 1 bisexual floret above 2 lower sterile ones. Glumes small and unequal, not reaching the lemmas and separated from them by a region of hairy stem. Two lower sterile lemmas awned, rough. Fertile lemma shorter than the sterile ones. Lower glume 0-1 nerved, upper glume 0-1 nerved. Lower lemmas awned, 5-9 nerved. Palea awnless, 0-1 nerved.
Attractive grass often grown in native-grass lawns or in revegetation projects. Sometimes united with Ehrharta.
Seed.
Fodder and native pasture, lawn grass species for shade.
Pendulous open inflorescence.
About 10 species from the Philippines, Australia and New Zealand.
Willemse (1982).
Source: (2005). Poaceae. In: . Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 5. Flowering plants. Monocotyledons. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.