Pseudoraphis paradoxa

Rhizomatous and stoloniferous annual or perennial. Stems decumbent, culms weakly ascending, to 50 cm high; nodes glabrous. Leaves glabrous to sparsely ciliate, smooth; blade flat, 3–8 cm long and 2–6 mm wide, usually with 3–5 nerves equally prominent; ligule membranous, erose, c. 1 mm long. Panicle or raceme linear, 2–8 cm long, lower branches, if present, appressed to main axis, to 15 mm long. Spikelets shortly pedicellate, narrow-lanceolate, mostly 6–10 mm long and most or all subtended by a scabrous bristle to c. 2 cm long; lower glume broad, rounded or truncate, c. 1 mm long, membranous, apparently nerveless; upper glume as long as the spikelet, 15–19-nerved, scabrous along the nerves; lemma of lower (male) floret smooth, subequal to or as long as upper glume, palea slightly shorter; lemma of upper floret acute, c. 3 mm long, membranous, almost completely enclosing floret, palea equal to lemma. Flowers Feb.–Apr.