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Tufted, rhizomatous or stoloniferous perennials or annuals. Leaf-blades linear, flat or folded, acute to acuminate or obtuse; ligule membranous, short, ciliolate; sheaths rounded or keeled and flabellate. Inflorescence of few–many slender, typically digitate spikes. Spikelets 2–4(–6)-flowered, shortly pedicelled or subsessile, alternate, in 2 rows on a tough rhachis; glumes unequal, membranous, usually lanceolate in side view, 1-nerved, acute, acuminate or with an awn-point, usually persistent; lowest floret hermaphrodite; lemma cartilaginous (coriaceous in C. lamproparia), mostly laterally compressed and keeled, usually ciliate on the margins and keel, entire or 2-lobed at the apex with a subapical awn; callus rounded or pungent, ciliate; 2nd–6th florets sterile, sometimes ♂, rarely hermaphrodite, embraced by or projecting from the side of the lowest floret; lemmas ± reduced or vestigial, awned or awnless; paleas usually absent. Caryopsis ellipsoid to linear, usually trigonous, occasionally dorsally compressed.
Annuals or perennials, with rhizomes or stolons. Basal leaf sheaths rounded or keeled; leaf blades linear, flat or folded; ligule a short ciliolate membrane. Inflorescence of racemes, digitate or occasionally in 2 or more whorls; spikelets shortly pedicelled or subsessile, closely imbricate, biseriate. Spikelets laterally compressed, florets 2–4, lowermost fertile, successive florets male or sterile and progressively reduced, disarticulating above glumes; glumes unequal, usually shorter than florets, lanceolate, membranous, 1-veined, acuminate to an awn-point; callus bearded; lemma of fertile floret keeled, lanceolate to obovate, cartilaginous to leathery, usually ciliate on margins and keel, apex entire or emarginate, subapically mucronate or awned; palea as long as lemma; subsequent florets similar to fertile floret or of different shape or vestigial. Caryopsis ellipsoid to subterete, pericarp free though sometimes reluctantly so. x = 10.
Spikelets 2–4(6)-flowered, shortly pedicelled or subsessile, alternate in 2 rows on a tough axis, disarticulating above the glumes; glumes unequal, membranous, narrowly elliptic to lanceolate in profile, 1-nerved, acute, acuminate or with an awn-point, usually persistent; floret callus rounded or pungent; lowermost floret fertile; fertile lemma cartilaginous, laterally compressed and keeled, 3-nerved, usually ciliate on the margins and keel, entire or 2-lobed at the apex, with a subapical awn; 2nd–6th florets sterile, sometimes the second male or rarely fertile, embraced by or projecting from the side of the fertile floret; lemmas ± reduced or vestigial, awned or awnless, usually without a palea.
Spikelets with 1 perfect fl and 1 or more empty lemmas, articulated above the glumes, sessile in 2 rows on 2 sides of a slender triangular rachis; glumes small, unequal, the first 1-veined, the second 1-or 3-veined; lemmas unequal, the lowest fertile, compressed and keeled, usually awned just below the tip, 3-veined, the lateral veins marginal; second lemma smaller, sterile, usually truncate or inflated, awned or awnless; other lemmas, if present, still smaller and mostly concealed within the second; usually tufted, bearing several elongate spikes in a terminal digitate cluster. 40, warm reg.
Spikelets subsessile in two rows on one side of the rachis, with one perfect floret, the rachilla articulate above the glumes, prolonged beyond the fertile floret, and bearing a narrow or club-shaped rudiment composed of one or more reduced sterile lemmas; glumes narrow, 1-nerved (rarely 3-nerved), the second a little longer than the first; fertile lemma 3-nerved, awned from the back just below the usually acute tip, the callus more or less bearded on the sides, the keel glabrous or sparsely pilose, the margins usually ciliate, the hairs on the upper part often much longer than the rest.
Inflorescence of few to many slender, typically digitate racemes, rarely these borne along an elongated axis.
Caryopsis ovoid, ellipsoid or obovoid, usually trigonous in section.
