Pangola grass

An extremely variable species, comprising a number of morphologically different former species.  In general, a perennial, sometimes stoloniferous, or tufted and rhizomatous, rhizomes knotty and unbranched, stolon internodes glabrous or hairy;  culms, simple or branched, 35-180 cm tall.  Basal leaf sheaths mostly silky and hairy (rarely glabrous);  leaf blades 5-60 cm long, 2-14 mm wide, glabrous or hairy;  ligule an unfringed membrane, 2-5 mm long.  Inflorescence a digitate (single whorl) or subdigitate (2 or more whorls) panicle comprising 3-17 racemes, 5-20 cm long.  Spikelets 2-4 mm long;  lower glume a membranous scale, upper glume ½–²/3 as long as spikelet;  upper glume and lower lemma purple and silvery, covered with 1 mm long hairs.