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Tufted perennials, or sometimes annuals, with wiry culms. Leaf-blades linear, flat or involute, sparsely to densely hairy, the hairs usually gland-tipped. Inflorescence a panicle, usually contracted or spiciform, rarely open. Spikelets 3–6-flowered (3-flowered in Flora area), the lowest floret hermaphrodite, the second floret hermaphrodite or ♂ (rarely sterile), the uppermost floret barren and represented only by a lemma which is often reduced to a small brush-like appendage; glumes lanceolate, sparsely hairy, the upper slightly longer than the lower and usually exceeding the body of the lemmas; lemmas oblong, broad, chartaceous or indurated, villous below the middle, the nerves (or some of them) excurrent into 9 awns; awns 3–5 times as long as the lemma, usually ciliate for much of their length and scaberulous at the tip; palea exceeding the body of the lemma
Perennial or sometimes annual. Culms tufted. Leaf blades usually narrow, often convolute. Panicle contracted, sometimes spikelike or capitate. Spikelets with 2–3(–6) florets, lowermost floret bisexual, second floret smaller, usually staminate, remaining florets reduced to barren lemmas forming a brushlike apical clump; glumes lanceolate, unequal with the upper longer, 1-to several-veined; lemmas papery to leathery, smooth or ribbed, villous below middle, veins extended into 7–9 awns forming a circlet around top of lemma; awns stout and ciliate for much of their length, slender and scaberulous toward tips.
Lemma of the inferior (hermaphrodite) floret 9-nerved, 9-awned, chartaceous, rather firm, broad, dorsally rounded, densely pilose (villous) at least in the lower 1/2; awns equal or subequal, subulate, straight, scaberulous or plumose, (2)3-5 times as long as the body of the lemma; callus minute.
Spikelets awned, solitary, slightly laterally compressed, 3-6-flowered; rhachilla disarticulating above the glumes and below the fertile florets, terete; florets 3 in African spp.; the lowermost hermaphrodite; the 2nd male or sterile; the terminal reduced, often only a tuft of awns.
Glumes 2, persistent, 3-5 (rarely sub-7)-nerved, equal to slightly unequal, membranous, dorsally rounded or inconspicuously keeled; the superior one about as long as the inferior lemma (excluding the awns).
Caryopsis oblong to broadly elliptic in outline, dorsally somewhat compressed or shallowly grooved; embryo rather large, about 3/4 the length of the caryopsis, hilum punctiform, basal.
Palea 2-nerved, 2-keeled, slightly longer than the lemma body, hyaline, often ciliolate along the keels.
Ovary glabrous; styles distinct, short; stigmas plumose, laterally exserted.
Predominantly perennials, rarely annual grasses, of various habits.
Inflorescence usually a contracted often spike-like panicle.
Second lemma similar but only 1/2 as long as the first.
Lodicules 2, minute, glabrous, fleshy.
Ligule reduced to a fringe of hairs.
Stamens 3.
