Erect perennials, with culms, leaves and panicles glabrous or pilose to hirsute; base leafy and compactly tufted. Culms 20–70 cm high. Leaves sometimes glaucous; ligule a fringe of hairs, 0.2–0.5 mm long; blade usually involute, often filiform. Axillary spikelets sometimes present near plant base. Panicles contracted, usually spiciform, often interrupted in lower part, (3.5–) 7–24 cm long, 1–2.5 cm wide, scabrous; axils usually bearded; branches divided, entirely spikelet-bearing. Spikelets subsessile, often reflexed, lanceolate or elliptic or ovate (rarely linear), compressed, with a median depression exposing rachilla, 6–17 (–30) mm long, 2–3.8 mm wide, often reddish brown, sometimes cleistogamous; rachilla flexuose, thick; florets 13–38 (–64), finally loosely overlapping. Glumes deciduous, lanceolate to linear, 1.8–3 mm long (±equal or the lower larger). Lemma ovate, 2–3 mm long, acute or obtuse, gibbous, inflated, cartilaginous to indurated, usually scaberulous-granular. Palea hyaline or membranous, smooth; body elliptic or obovate to orbicular, pouched; keels scaberulous; flaps narrow. Stamens 2; anthers 0.3–0.6 mm long. Grain biconvex, ovoid or ellipsoid, 0.4–0.6 mm long, subacute at base, silvery-white striate or reticulate. Pericarp free on moistening.
Grows in flat to undulating country with usually deep sands, clays, sandyloams, podsolics, alluvial soils, shallow tableland soils and disturbed ground.
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