Hygrophytic perennial 200-800 mm high; rhizomatous or stoloniferous; leaves mainly cauline. Leaf blade 120-190 mm long, erect, inrolled, apex pungent. Inflorescence 50-150 mm long; robust, racemes usually 2 or 3 (rarely 1), not spreading, solitary at point of attachment to rachis, secund. Spikelet 12-15 mm long; glumes very unequal; lemma awnless or mucronate; anther 5-6 mm long.
Perennial, up to 0.8 m tall, with rhizomes or stolons. Leaves rigid, spiny; ligule a fringed membrane. Inflorescence of 2 or 3, 1-sided, subdigitate spike-like racemes. Spikelets 12-15 mm long, strongly compressed laterally, hairy, awnless, 1-flowered; glumes very unequal.
Creeping perennial to 80 cm. Leaves linear, rolled. Spikelets secund, in a spike-like raceme, lower glume three-quarters as long as spikelet, upper glume as long as spikelet.