Plants perennial or annual; cespitose, more or less hairy throughout. Culms 3-100 cm; nodes hairy; internodes hollow. Sheaths open; ligules of hairs; microhairs of blades each with an elongated basal cell and an inflated terminal cell. Inflorescences terminal, spikelike to somewhat open panicles, bases often included within the uppermost leaf sheath; disarticulation above the glumes but not between the florets, florets falling as a unit. Spikelets with 3-6 florets, frequently only the lowest floret bisexual, distal florets progressively reduced. Glumes subequal, as long as or slightly shorter than the florets (including the awns), more or less pubescent; lower glumes 5-7-veined; lemmas firm, rounded on the backs, villous below the middle, strongly 9-veined, veins extending into equal, plumose awns 3-5 times as long as the lemma bodies and forming a pappuslike crown; paleas longer than the lemmas, entire, thinly membranous, 2-veined, 2-keeled, keels hairy; anthers 3, 0.2-1.5 mm; styles 2, free to the base, white. x = 10. Name from the Greek ennea, nine, and pogon, beard, a reference to the nine hairy awns of the lemma.
Enneapogon includes about 28 species.It is found in tropical and warm regions of the world, especially in Africa and Australia. Two species are found in the Flora region: one is native, and one is an introduction that has become established in the region.
Cope, T.A. Poaceae (1995) Flora of Somalia 4: 149-270
Plants perennial or annual. Leaf blades usually narrow, often inrolled. Spikelets with only 1 fertile floret, uppermost florets reduced to a brushlike appendage. Lemmas chartaceous to coriaceous, hairy below midlength with 9 awns, these usually ciliate, rarely scabridulous, ciliate.
Enneapogon includes 28 species that are native to the tropics and subtropics. It is best represented in Australia and Africa.
