Annuals or short-lived perennials, forming compact leafy tufts. Culms erect or ascending, 47–80 (–120) cm high. Leaves mostly glabrous and smooth; ligule a fimbriate membrane, 0.3–0.5 mm long; blade flat and to 4 mm wide or loosely convolute, with thick scaberulous margins. Panicles contracted, usually interrupted in lower part, 18–37 cm long, 1–5 cm wide, ±half length of plant, scabrous; branches often whorled, divided, entirely spikelet-bearing or naked near axil. Spikelets shortly pedicellate, linear, compressed, 3.5–8 mm long, 1–1.3 mm wide; rachilla usually zig-zagged, slender; florets 11–25, very loose. Glumes persistent, unequal, ovate or oblong, membranous, usually keeled; lower glume 0.4–0.5 mm long, sometimes nerveless and rounded on back; upper glume c. 0.6 mm long. Lemma ovate, 0.7–1 mm long, obtuse, sometimes notched, mucronulate or not, membranous; lateral nerves ribbed. Palea membranous; body spathulate; keels short and incising apex into 3 acute lobes, ribbed, smooth; flaps ±as wide as body, scaberulous on lobes. Stamens 2; anthers c. 0.2 mm long. Grain not compressed, ovoid to subulate, c. 0.4.0.5 mm long, glossy.
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