Mat-forming perennials. Culms much-branched; nodes numerous; internodes short, unribbed, brown (rarely ribbed and pallid). Leaves spirally arranged; sheaths completely covering the culms, persistent, coriaceous to scarious with thin margins; blade disarticulating from sheath, flat or partly involute or convolute. Inflorescence a contracted panicle, or a compact spike of sessile and subsessile spikelets. Spikelets with 2 usually bisexual florets; rachilla disarticulating above glumes and between florets. Glumes longer (rarely shorter or ±equal) than florets, membranous, carinate, 1–5-nerved, usually glabrous, smooth over most of surface. Lemma muticous or mucronate, hyaline or membranous, 0–9-nerved, glabrous, smooth. Palea divided into 2 equal, 1-keeled parts (entire in M. subulifolia), similar to lemma in length, texture and indumentum, 2-keeled, nerveless or 4–7-nerved. Stamens 2. Stamens and stigmas prominently exserted terminally. Caryopsis usually ellipsoid and obtuse.
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