Perennials, densely tufted. Culms slender, branching, drooping or trailing, several-to many-noded. Leaf blades linear or linear-lanceolate, lower blades deciduous; ligule a membranous ciliate rim. Inflorescence a single raceme borne on a flexuous peduncle, racemes many, terminating the culm branches; raceme fragile, sessile and pedicelled spikelets of a pair similar, both fertile; rachis internodes and pedicels shorter than spikelets, linear with expanded apex, ciliate. Sessile spikelet oblong, laterally compressed; callus obtuse, bearded with long silky hairs; glumes subequal, membranous or thinly cartilaginous; lower glume strongly convex, 3–5-veined, apex truncate, 2–3-lobed, ciliate; upper glume slightly longer than lower glume, strongly keeled, apex 2-toothed, a long, fine, flexuous awn from sinus; lower floret male with palea or reduced to a hyaline lemma or absent; upper lemma oblong, hyaline, 2-lobed for 1/3–1/2 its length, awned; awn long, very slender, geniculate near base; upper palea subequal to lemma. Stamens 1–2. Pedicelled spikelet often smaller, lacking a lower floret, upper floret bisexual or female.
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