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Perennials; leaf-blades flat, sometimes aromatic; ligule membranous. Inflorescence of digitate or subdigitate racemes, sometimes paniculate with a long central axis; racemes with more than 8 sessile spikelets, without homogamous pairs; internodes and pedicels linear, with a hyaline median line. Sessile spikelet dorsally compressed; callus very short, rounded; lower glume broadly convex to slightly concave on the back, abruptly rounded on the flanks, sometimes with 1–3 circular pits, acute; lower floret reduced to a hyaline lemma; upper lemma entire (in East Africa), with a glabrous awn. Caryopsis oblong, slightly dorsally compressed. Pedicelled spikelet much like the sessile or smaller.
Inflorescence of few-to many-jointed pedunculate racemes, these digitate or subdigitate; racemes simple or the lower ones sparsely branched, without homogamous pairs; sessile and pedicelled spikelets similar in size and shape or the pedicelled reduced and smaller, always differing in sex; rhachis internodes and pedicels linear-filiform, with a translucent longitudinal groove.
Sessile spikelet callus obtuse; inferior glume mostly cartilaginous, broadly convex to slightly concave, sometimes with 1–3 circular pits on the back, acute at the apex; superior lemma forming the hyaline base to its awn, entire (rarely bilobed; not in the Flora Zambesiaca area).
Pedicelled spikelet male or neuter.
Perennials.
