Perennial, rambling. Leaf blades linear-lanceolate, often pseudopetiolate; ligule membranous. Inflorescence a single short raceme encircled by a small boat-shaped spatheole; raceme comprising 1 sessile and 2 pedicelled spikelets; spatheoles numerous, crowded into a leafy compound panicle; peduncle very short, spikelet triad deciduous from it at maturity; pedicels both broad, strongly flattened, together with lower glume of sessile spikelet forming a triangular box around fertile floret. Sessile spikelet bisexual, slightly laterally compressed; callus broad, swollen; lower glume herbaceous or subleathery toward base, convex, without keels or wings, 2-toothed; upper glume strongly convex, laterally compressed, membranous with hyaline margins, 1-keeled, awnless; lower floret staminate, well developed with palea; upper lemma deeply 2-lobed and awned from sinus, or entire to emarginate and awnless; awn 4–12 mm. Pedicelled spikelets awnless, unequal, one well developed, staminate, as large as sessile spikelet, the other rudimentary.
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