Isolepis antarctica (L.) Roem. & Schult.

Isolepis antarctica is an annual of about 80 to 200 mm tall, with numerous straw-coloured and dark red spikelets that consist of an indeterminate rachilla with many, spirally arranged glumes, with each glume subtending a bisexual flower. Its subtending glumes develop slowly and older glumes grow into a bonnet-like shape, protecting the fruit. It is widely distributed in damp flats and slopes up to 800 m altitude, from the Cape Peninsula to Langeberg Mountains in the Western Cape. It flowers between October to November.

Isolepis hystrix (Thunb.) Nees

Isolepis hystrix is a small, densely tufted, annual species about 20 to 100 mm tall, with green spikelets. It is usually found in damp flats, and sometimes at altitudes of about 1 600 m. It is widely distributed from Namaqualand to the Cape Peninsula. This species flowers between August and November.

Isolepis striata (Nees) Kunth

Isolepis striata extends from Namaqualand to Riviersonderend to Uitenhage in the Eastern Cape, growing in pools at lower altitudes. It is a branched aquatic perennial with green or reddish terminal spikelets and glumes from 3.5 to 4.5 mm long. There are three involucral bracts that are shorter than the spikelets. The species flowers between August and December.