Compactly tufted or tussock-forming perennials, eglandular; rootbase rhizomatous, pubescent or woolly with bulbous segments. Culms 16–50 cm high, wiry. Leaves leathery, mostly glabrous and scaberulous; sheaths overlapping on vegetative culm internodes, abruptly wider than blade; ligule 0.5–0.6 mm long; blade flat or tightly rolled or folded, stiffly straight or strongly recurved, often flexuose or curling with age, to 4 cm long, to 4.5 mm wide, firm-pointed. Panicles spiciform, 5–13 cm long, 0.6–1.5 cm wide; branches entirely spikelet-bearing. Spikelets pedicellate, linear or lanceolate, 5–35 mm long, 1.5–2 mm wide; rachilla persistent or semipersistent, straight; florets 10–76, becoming loosely overlapping. Glumes ±equal, ovate, 1.4–2 mm long. Lemma ovate, 1.5–2.5 mm long, obtuse or acute, membranous with hyaline margins, 3-nerved; lateral nerves often green. Palea as long as or longer than the lemma, persistent on rachilla or rarely falling with lemma; body spathulate or obovate, ciliolate at apex; keels short and dividing palea into 3 lobes; flaps narrower than body. Stamens 3; anthers 1–1.3 mm long, yellow or purple. Grain terete and ovoid or subterete and ellipsoid, 0.7–1 mm long, often shiny, with a minute stipe.
Commonly in well-watered,grey, red or brown heavy clays or clayey loams on alluvial flood plains, grasslandplains, stony tablelands, claypans, dune swales, and depressions; also insaline, lateritic and sandy loam soils.
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