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Annual or perennial. Leaf blades linear to lanceolate, often with cartilaginous margins. Inflorescence composed of racemes along a central axis; raceme rachis triquetrous or flattened, sometimes winged; spikelets sessile or pedicelled, single or paired, rarely in fascicles or on secondary racemelets. Spikelets plump, usually elliptic, florets 2; lower glume adaxial, varying in length from very small and veinless to many-veined and subequaling spikelet, base sheathing, sometimes extended downward as a short stipe; upper glume and lower lemma similar, as long as spikelet, membranous or cartilaginous; upper lemma coriaceous, smooth, striate or rugose, margins inrolled, apex obtuse to acute, occasionally minutely mucronate; upper palea apex tucked within lemma. x = 7, 9.
Spikelets solitary, subsessile in two rows on one side of a flattened or triangular rachis, the first glume turned toward the rachis; first glume 3-to 5-nerved, broad and clasping, one-third to half as long as the spikelet; second glume and sterile lemma equal, longer than the fruit, 5-to 7-nerved, glabrous or pubescent; fruit indurate, usually papillose-rugose, sometimes smooth, the margins of the lemma inrolled.
Spikelets ovate to oblong, plump, obtuse to acute, sometimes the lowest internode elongated and then often accrescent to the sheathing base of the inferior glume to form a short stipe.
Inflorescence of racemes along a central axis (this branched in B. malacodes), the spikelets single and adaxial, paired, or rarely in fascicles.
Superior lemma filling the spikelet, coriaceous to crustaceous, obtuse to acute, rarely mucronate.
Inferior lemma awnless, rarely (B. nigropedata, B. serrata) with an awn-point up to 1 mm. long.
Inferior glume mostly shorter than spikelet.
