[portal.wiktrop.org] Description: Dinebra retroflexa is a grass with linear leaves and flat. The ligule is membranous, laciniated at the apex. The inflorescence is composed of many linear racemes, distributed along the floral axis. They are first trained and then folded down. Spikelets are sessile and compressed with 2 or 3 flowers. The glumes are long tapered and longer than the flowers. Lemmas are membranous and mucronate. Paleas are membranous and bicarinated. First leaves The first leaves have a linear limb, 3 to 10 cm long and 5 mm wide. It is spread and flat. The ligule is membranous, at the top laciniated. The sheath is dotted with long fine hairs. The margin of the lamina is smooth to very slightly scabrous. General habit Grass in loose tuft. This species is 20 to 100 cm tall. Underground system The roots are fasciculate. Culm Culm is cylindrical, smooth and glabrous. The nodes are glabrous and dark in color. Leaf The leaves are simple, alternate. The sheath is dotted with long fine hairs. It is rounded and does not have a well marked hull. The ligule is 1 mm high. It is membranous, slightly laciniated at the top. The lamina is linear, long tapered in acute apex at the top. It is spread and flat. The central rib forms a small round hull. It is 4 to 20 cm long and 4 to 8 mm wide. The margin is smooth to very finely scabrous. The upper side has some long fine hairs. Inflorescence The inflorescence is composed of many racemes distributed along the floral axis, on 10 to 35 cm. The racemes are linear and are 1 to 8 cm long. They are first trained and then folded down at maturity. The rachis is triangular in section and has a bare upper surface. During the spread, the whole raceme comes off with all its spikelets. Spikelets The spikelets are sessile, arranged in two rows on the lower sides of the rachis. They are flattened laterally and include 2 or 3 fertile flowers. They measure 5.5 to 7 mm long. The glumes are scarious, lanceolate, 5.5 to 7 mm long, at the apex gradually attenuated in a point in the upper third of the glume. Its dorsal rib is scabrous. The glumes protrude widely and partially hide the 2 or 3 flowers. The first flower is subsessile while the following ones are borne by a pedicel 0.5 to 1 mm long. Lemmas and paleas are membranous. Lemmas are 2 to 2.5 mm long and glabrous or have some fine hairs near the dorsal vein. Their summit is slightly truncated and mucronate. Paleas are bicarinated and finely pubescent along the dorsal veins. Grain The grain is ovoid, 1.5 mm long. (link added by Mary Ann Machi)

[powo.science.kew.org] Native countries: The native range of this species is Africa to India, Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It is an annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome. (link added by Mary Ann Machi)