Spinifex

Generally dioecious (but some `female' plants may have functional stamens), rhizomatous and stoloniferous perennials. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Inflorescence consisting of a number of racemes or spikes aggregated into a false head and subtended by several papery bracts; racemes or spikes with several spikelets in male plants, with one, rarely two, spikelets subtended by a long slender projection in female plants; glumes 2, the longer (upper) subequal to or as long as spikelet; florets 2, the lower neuter; lemma of upper floret firm to hard, shorter than or subequal to spikelet.