Derivation
Cyrtococcum Stapf, in D.Prain, Fl. Trop. Afr. 9: 745 (1920); from the Greek kurtos (curved, crooked) and kokkos (a fruit), alluding to the shape of the fruit.

oxyphyllum- from the Greek oxys (sharp) and phyllon (leaf). Tips of leaf-blades finely acuminate or pungent.

Published in
Hooker's Icon. Pl. 31: t. 3096 (1922).

Habit
Annual, mat forming. Culms prostrate, 15–60 cm tall, rooting from lower nodes. Mid-culm nodes glabrous or pubescent. Ligule a fringed membrane, 0.7–1.7 mm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate or elliptic, 2–20 cm long, 5–15 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous or hirsute. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

Inflorescence
Inflorescence compound, a panicle. Panicle contracted, lanceolate, 5–20 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed or ascending, 2–4 cm long. Panicle branches scabrous, glabrous or pilose, pubescent in axils.

Spikelets
Spikelets solitary. Pedicels linear, 0.2–1.6 mm long. Fertile spikelets 2-flowered, comprising 1 fertile floret, lower floret sterile, upper fertile, without rhachilla extension, obovate, laterally compressed, compressed strongly, gibbous, 1.25–2 mm long, falling entire.

Glumes
Glumes similar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate, 1–1.5 mm long, 65–75% of length of spikelet, membranous, 3-nerved. Lower glume surface glabrous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong, gibbous, 1.3–2 mm long, 100% of length of spikelet, membranous, 3-nerved. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume apex acute.

Florets
Basal sterile floret 1, without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume, oblong, 1.25–2 mm long, 100% of length of spikelet, membranous, 5-nerved, acute. Fertile lemma obovate, laterally compressed, gibbous, 1–1.7 mm long, indurate, 5-nerved. Lemma lateral nerves obscure. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex with a little green crest. Palea reflexed at apex, involute, indurate, 2-nerved. Anthers 3, 0.5–1 mm long. Grain with adherent pericarp.

Continental Distribution:
Africa, Temperate Asia, Tropical Asia, Australasia, Pacific.

Australian Distribution:
Queensland: Cook, North Kennedy.

Classification. (GPWG 2001):
Panicoideae: Isachneae

Notes
Native. Widespread in the tropics of Asia, in damp, shady, forest habitats. In tropical and subtropical rain forests, or tropical and subtropical sub-humid woodlands. Flowers Apr.–Sept.

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