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Annual. Leaf-blades broadly linear, flat; ligule a ciliate membrane. Inflorescence open, composed of a number of spikes arranged subdigitately or spread along a central axis. Spikelets several-many-flowered, oblong with a serrate outline, laterally compressed, subsessile on the slender flattened rhachis, the lemmas disarticulating from below upwards, paleas persistent on the rhachilla, but often the spikelet falling wholly or in part when only a few lemmas have been shed; glumes 1-nerved, keeled, thinly cartilaginous, shorter than the lemmas and falling before or soon after them; lemmas 3-nerved, keeled, cartilaginous, glabrous, lateral nerves fractionally excurrent, tip entire, aristulate. Grain ornamented, deeply sulcate on the hilar side, enclosed within a free hyaline pericarp which ruptures to release the grain.
Annuals. Culms single or tufted. Leaf blades linear, thin, flat; ligule membranous with ciliate fringe. Inflorescence composed of racemes arranged digitately or in whorls along a central axis; racemes with imbricate, subsessile spikelets on a slender flattened rachis, terminal spikelet abortive. Spikelets laterally compressed, florets 6–20, lemmas falling at maturity from below upward leaving the paleas on the persistent rachilla, but often spikelet falling wholly or in part when only a few lemmas have been shed; glumes shorter than lemmas, 1-veined, keeled; lemmas firmly membranous, 3-veined, glabrous, strongly keeled, entire or bidentate, tipped with a stout awn-point. Grain ellipsoid, ornamented, deeply sulcate on hilar side, enclosed within a free hyaline pericarp which ruptures at maturity.
Spikelets several–many-flowered, oblong with a serrate outline, laterally compressed, the lemmas disarticulating from below upwards, the paleas persistent on the rhachilla, but often the spikelet falling wholly or in part when only a few lemmas have been shed; glumes 1-nerved, keeled, thinly cartilaginous, shorter than the lemmas and falling before or soon after them; lemmas 3-nerved, keeled, cartilaginous, glabrous, the lateral nerves slightly excurrent, entire or 2-toothed and aristulate at the apex.
Inflorescence of digitate or whorled racemes, sometimes subdigitate with additional scattered racemes; racemes with imbricate, biseriate, subsessile spikelets, terminating in an abortive spikelet or rarely a naked point.
Caryopsis elliptic, rugose or smooth, sulcate on the hilar side or not, the pericarp free.
