Rel. Haenk.: 343 (1830); Gen. Gram.: 282 (1986).
- Type-species: Alloteropsis distachya Presl = A. semialata (R. Br.) Hitchc.
Description:
* Caespitose or decumbent annuals or perennials. Culms herbaceous, leaves mostly basal. Leaves linear to lanceolate, convolute in bud; ligule membranous or reduced to a fringe of hairs.
* Inflorescence of racemes along a short central axis. Racemes unilateral, digitate or verticillate; rhachis triquetrous; spikelets paired or fascicled with unequal pedicels.
* Spikelets lanceolate or ovate, with unequal glumes and two florets; the lower one sterile, the upper fertile. Glumes unequal, hairy. Upper glume and lower lemma as long as spikelet; lower lemma ciliate on the margins, palea short and deeply bifid; upper lemma chartaceous without keel, acuminate ending in a short awn, margins enrolled, covering only the edges of the acute palea. Stamens 3, anthers 2, red pigmented. Caryopsis elliptlic-oblong, compressed dorsiventrally.
Palaeotropical genus with 5-6 species; open habitats, usually marshy and weedy places.