Perennial or sometimes annual plants, (14–) 40–85 cm high; base pubescent when perennial. Culms often branched at lower nodes, rarely simple, hirsute or pilose with tubercle-based hairs or glabrous; nodes pubescent to bearded, sometimes glabrous. Leaves hispid or hirsute with tubercle-based hairs or glabrous; sheaths usually shorter than culm internodes; blade to 19 cm long, to 4 mm wide, often hirsute on upper surface, glabrous or hispid to sparsely scabrous on lower surface, with margins scabrous. Panicles loose to rather dense, 3–6 (–10) cm long, (0.8–) 1.5–2 (–3) cm wide. Axillary panicles sometimes present at basal culm nodes. Glumes 3.3–10 mm long, usually muticous, rarely with mucro to 1 mm long, 7–13-nerved, glabrous or pilose with tubercle-based hairs, scabrous near apex or smooth, sometimes scaberulous or ciliolate towards apex on margins. Florets exceeding glumes by 1–3 mm or rarely equal. Lemma 3.5–8 mm long, acuminate, awned, cartilaginous, 5 (–7)-nerved, bisulcate, (often sparsely) hirsute in lower 1/3–2/3 with a few hairs sometimes reaching lemma apex, glabrous and smooth above or scabrous near apex and margins; awn 7–27 (–43) mm long, often recurved. Palea 4–10.5 mm long, entire or bifid for 1–2 mm, sparsely or densely hairy in lower 1/2–2/3, glabrous and scabrous above. Caryopsis 2–3 mm long.
Occurs in seasonally wet and damp sites such as the leveesand banks of creeks, swamps, seepage and drainage lines, usually in alluvial orshallow sandy or gravelly soils, in association with sandstone, basalt andlaterite.
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