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Perennials, compactly caespitose, bisexual. Leaves usually mostly basal; ligule a ciliate membrane. Inflorescence a single spike or a single, long-pedunculate raceme (not in Australia), with spikelets secundly arranged. Spikelets biseriate, subsessile or pedicellate (not in Australia), laterally compressed, with 6–50 bisexual florets, disarticulating above the glumes, with glumes and lemmas deciduous and paleas persistent; rachilla prolonged with incomplete florets, hairy. Glumes 2, ±equal, shorter than the spikelet, awnless; lower glume carinate, 1-nerved; upper glume carinate only at the tip, 3-nerved. Lemmas awnless, carinate, 3-nerved. Caryopsis obtusely trigonous to not compressed, ellipsoid or ovoid, reticulate-striate.
Perennials, compactly tufted. Culms slender, rigidly erect, unbranched. Leaf blades mainly basal, filiform; ligule membranous with ciliate fringe. Inflorescence a single subsecund spikelike raceme with sessile or subsessile, biseriate spikelets. Spikelets laterally compressed with many tightly imbricate florets, narrow, often linear-oblong, lemmas disarticulating at maturity leaving the persistent rachilla and paleas, but sometimes the upper part shed as a whole; glumes shorter than lemmas, subequal or upper slightly longer, 1–3-veined; lemmas ovate or lanceolate, cartilaginous, 3-veined, glabrous, keeled along midvein, acute or obtuse; palea keels usually narrowly winged, wing margins usually ciliolate. Grain ellipsoid.
