Compactly tufted perennials. Culms erect, 60–90 cm high, wiry. Leaves often glaucous; basal sheaths often yellow; ligule a ciliate membrane, 0.4–0.5 mm long; blade flat and to 4 mm wide or involute, straight, scabrous above and on margins. Panicles spiciform, usually continuous, 20–45 cm long, 0.4–0.8 cm wide, sparsely scaberulous or smooth; primary branches appressed, much-divided, spikelet-bearing from axils; secondary branches very short and appressed. Spikelets congested, shortly pedicellate, oblong, 4–5.5 mm long, c. 1 mm wide, cleistogamous; rachilla falling whole above glumes, persistent between florets when more than one floret, zig-zagged, often prolonged beyond terminal floret; florets 1–5, loosely overlapping. Glumes persistent or tardily deciduous, unequal, membranous to hyaline; lower glume narrowly ovate, 1–2.3 mm long; upper glume linearoblong, 1.8–3 mm long. Lemma lanceolate, long-acuminate, hyaline to membranous, 1 (–3)-nerved, lower two 2.8–3 mm long, others much shorter. Palea lanceolate, 1/2–2/3 as long as lemma, membranous to hyaline; body dividing along midline at maturity; keels smooth or sometimes partly scaberulous; flaps wider than body. Stamens 3; anthers c. 0.4 mm long, green. Grain often absent from basal floret, strongly laterally compressed, tapering upwards, c. 1 mm long, often partly exserted and glossy. Pericarp free.
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