Annual. Culms 100–200 cm high, with prop roots, branched, no hardened cataphylls protecting new shoots; nodes glabrous. Leaves: ligule unfringed, irregularly dentate, 1–2 mm long; blade 30–60 cm long, 10–45 mm wide, scabrid hairs along margin, the midrib without prominent wing. Inflorescence a panicle (or cluster) of 1–4 spike-like racemes, each raceme solitary in a subtending spathe and pedunculate, peduncles to 15 cm long, racemes 3–6.5 cm long (to 7.3 cm long, fide Lazarides 1984), comprised of 8–15 spikelet pairs, spikelet pairs alternating along raceme, sessile glumes more visible on one side of axis, and pedicellate spikelets, internodes and pedicels more visible on the other side; raceme internodes and pedicels 4–5 mm long, concave on one side into which sessile spikelet is partially embedded (pedicels usually slightly shorter than internode), glabrous. Sessile spikelets 3.5–5.5 mm long, 2–2.5 mm wide, partially embedded into cavity in rachis segment; lower glume obovate or broadly elliptic but appearing oblong with incurved margins, rounded on back, coarsely rugose to mostly smooth, indurated, similar size as spikelet, no wings at apex, truncate or broadly obtuse, glabrous; upper glume broadly oblong or obovate, rounded on the back, incurved margins hyaline, ± equal to lower glume, obtuse with acute mucro, glabrous, indurated; florets 2 or rarely 1, the lower lemma broadly elliptical, glabrous, hyaline, sterile, or absent, palea absent, the upper lemma oblong, hyaline, bisexual, upper palea oblong. Pedicellate spikelets (dissimilar to sessile spikelet) with pedicel fused to rachis for most of length; spikelets 4.5–6.5 mm long (to 8 mm long, fide Lazarides 1984), often slighter longer than sessile spikelet; lower glume lanceolate, oblong or narrowly elliptic, with thickened keel along one margin, glabrous, coriaceous; upper glume lanceolate, with a prominent winged keel, acute, glabrous, coriaceous; florets 2, the lower lemma lanceolate, sterile, hyaline, palea absent, the upper lemma smaller but similar in shape and texture to lower lemma, male or empty, palea present c. half the size of lemma, hyaline.
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