A small to medium-sized annual with glabrous (rarely sparsely hairy) stems and scaberulous leaves; inflorescence anthelate, open to somewhat contracted, involucral bracts glabrous, inflorescence branches smooth; spikelets mostly < 5 mm long, ovate, few-flowered; glumes 1.5-2.5(3) mm long, sides < 0.5 mm wide, midnerve not reaching the tip, glabrous to shortly hispid, minutely ciliolate, cinnamon-coloured, rarely darker; fruit slightly to conspicuously transversely rugose, rarely smooth, stylebase persistent.