Compactly tufted annuals. Culms 30–60 cm high, branched, terete; internodes smooth, sometimes glaucous. Leaves: ligule 0.5–1 mm long; blade flat or conduplicate, sometimes coiled at maturity, 16–18 cm long, to 2 mm wide. Inflorescences 4–15 cm long, 1–2 cm wide, loosely contracted; branches loosely appressed, to 3.5 cm long, bearing spikelets from base. Glumes usually inverse, 5–9 mm long, 1–3-nerved (laterals faint), scabrous or scaberulous or smooth, glabrous; lower glume entire, acute, awned; upper glume obtuse, notched, aristulate. Lemma 4–7 mm long, slightly shorter than or subequal to both glumes, involute, smooth, without an articulation or pseudoarticulation; groove smooth or tuberculate; column absent; awns subequal, 10–24 mm long, straight; lateral awns flattened. Caryopsis furrowed in T.S., 3.5–4.5 mm long, ±twice embryo length.
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