Erect or geniculate and ascending, caespitose, annual or perennial, sometimes shortly rhizomatous or stoloniferous. Culms to 2 m high, 3 or 4-noded; mid-culm nodes exposed or hidden by leaf sheaths; mid-culm internodes smooth to retrorsely scabrous. Leaves: basal sheaths glabrous; ligule to 4 mm long, obtuse to truncate, becoming laciniate; blade flat, to 17 cm long, to 4 mm wide. Panicles open, to 25 cm long, exserted, sometimes shortly or tardily so; peduncle scabrous; primary branches spreading, whorled to divaricate, bare at base. Spikelets few–many, 1.75–3.0 mm long; pedicel apex clavate, scabrous, pedicel 1–15 mm long; rachilla extension minute to c. 0.3 mm long, glabrous to hairy. Glumes diverging, subequal to equal. Lemma 1.1–2.2 mm long, glabrous, 5-nerved, 4-toothed, apically ciliate or fimbriate, muticous or awned or awnless; awn subapical, from upper 30% of lemma, to 1.4 mm long. Palea usually subequal to lemma, obtuse, entire to shortly bifid and often ciliate or fimbriate. Stamens 3; anthers 0.5–0.7 mm long.
Usually in coastal habitats, in beach sands, coastal woodlands andoccasional around inland swamps, lakes and stream banks.
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