Derivation
Perotis Aiton, Hort. Kew. 1: 85 (1789); from the Greek peros (mutilated) and ous (ear). The lemma is awnless.

indica- from India.

Published in
Rev. Gen. Pl. 2: 287 (1891).

Habit
Annual, tufted. Culms geniculately ascending, 15–40 cm tall. Mid-culm nodes glabrous. Leaves apparently irregular. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades erect or spreading, lanceolate or ovate, flat or involute, 1–5 cm long, 2–10 mm wide, flaccid.

Inflorescence
Inflorescence solid, a raceme. Racemes 1, multilateral, 2–20 cm long. Spikelet packing imbricate or approximate, irregular.

Spikelets
Spikelets ascending or spreading, solitary. Pedicels oblong, 0.2 mm long. Fertile spikelets 1-flowered, comprising 1 fertile floret, without rhachilla extension, linear or lanceolate, terete, 6.5–30 mm long, falling entire. Spikelet callus oblong, 0.1–0.5 mm long.

Glumes
Glumes two, similar, firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate, 1.5–2.5 mm long, equalling upper glume, membranous, 1-nerved, midnerve scabrous. Lower glume lateral nerves absent. Lower glume surface scabrous, rough generally, hispidulous. Lower glume apex acuminate, awned. Lower glume awn 5–15 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate, 1.5–2.5 mm long, 200–300% of length of adjacent fertile lemma, membranous, 1-nerved, midnerve distinct, midnerve scabrous. Upper glume lateral nerves absent. Upper glume surface scabrous, rough generally, hispidulous. Upper glume apex acuminate, awned. Upper glume awn 5–15 mm long.

Florets
Fertile lemma lanceolate, 0.5–1 mm long, hyaline, 1-nerved. Lemma apex acute. Palea hyaline. Anthers 3. Grain with adherent pericarp, fusiform, terete, plano-convex, concavo-convex, trigonous, and quadrangular.

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

Australian Distribution:
Queensland: Cook.

Classification. (GPWG 2001):
Chloridoideae: Cynodonteae

Notes
Introduced. Known from open grassy Eucalyptus woodland on sandy loam; elsewhere it grows in sandy soil near the coast, under Casuarina sp. and in dry grasslands, usually at low altitudes.