Gastridium P.Beauv.

Annuals, caespitose or culms solitary, bisexual. Ligule an unfringed membrane. Inflorescence paniculate, spike-like. Spikelets pedicellate, laterally compressed, disarticulating above glumes, with 1 bisexual floret; rachilla shortly prolonged beyond floret (rarely not prolonged), with extension naked. Glumes 2, very unequal (to ±equal), exceeding floret, awnless, conspicuously swollen, shiny and ±cartilaginous at base, membranous above, keeled, 1-nerved, scabrous along keel. Callus short. Lemmas ±dentate, mucronate to 1-awned, less firm than glumes, translucent, usually ±hairy, not keeled, 5-nerved; awn dorsal, but arising near apex, rarely absent. Stamens 3. Caryopsis slightly adhering to lemma and/or palea, not grooved; hilum short; endosperm hard.