Carpgrass

Slender, often trailing, annuals or perennials. Leaf laminae broad (in ours) slightly cordate and semi-amplexicaul at base. Racemes arranged in subdigitate groups; rhachis internodes and pedicels delicate, filiform. Sessile spikelet laterally flattened; silvery-white appressed hairs present at the base; callus short, truncate; lower glume rounded on back with or without 2 lateral keels; lower floret reduced to a hyaline lemma; upper floret fertile; fertile (upper) lemma 2-fid almost to the base, with a glabrous awn arising from low down on the back of the lemma. Pedicellate spikelet either 0 or much reduced.

Arthraxon, commonly known as carpetgrass, is a genus of Asian, African and Australian plants in the grass family, Poaceae, containing the following species:

Arthraxon antsirabensis – Madagascar Arthraxon castratus – Hainan, Indian Subcontinent, Indochina, Java Arthraxon cuspidatus – Ethiopia, Oman Arthraxon depressus – India Arthraxon echinatus – India, Nepal, Yunnan Arthraxon epectinatus – China, Himalayas Arthraxon hispidus – Asia, Africa, Australia, Indian Ocean islands Arthraxon inermis – India Arthraxon jubatus – Kerala Arthraxon junnarensis – Yunnan, India, Oman Arthraxon lanceolatus – eastern Africa, southern Asia Arthraxon lancifolius – Africa, southern Asia Arthraxon meeboldii – India Arthraxon microphyllus – Himalayas, Yunnan, Thailand Arthraxon multinervis – Guizhou Arthraxon nudus – southern Asia Arthraxon prionodes – eastern Africa, southern Asia Arthraxon raizadae – India Arthraxon santapaui – India, Himalayas Arthraxon submuticus – Himalayas, Yunnan Arthraxon typicus – Yunnan, Guangdong, Himalayas, Indochina, Java Arthraxon villosus – India

Several species now in the genera Dimeria and Microstegium were formerly included in Arthraxon:

Arthraxon batangensis – Microstegium batangense Arthraxon hohenackeri – Dimeria hohenackeri Arthraxon lanceolatus and Arthraxon nodosus – Microstegium vimineum