S tiff perennial 10-50 cm high, with fleshy rhizomes, forming dense clumps or meadows. Culms slender, diameter less than 5 mm, closely sheathed; ligule a row of hairs 1-2 mm long; leaf blades 5-35 cm × 4-10 mm, flat or inrolled, ribbed above, persistent or falling. Panicles usually numerous, erect and contracted, 8-25 cm long, of 2-5 spikes 4-10 cm long. Spikelets closely overlapping, narrowly oblong, 10-15 mm × ± 2 mm, 1-flowered, minutely hairy, falling or persistent. Glumes very unequal with the lower up to two-thirds the length of the upper and much narrower; lower glume 1-nerved, + 7 mm × 1 mm, keeled, oblong; upper glume 1-3- nerved,± 13 mm × 3 mm, keeled, oblong-lanceolate, with membranous margins. Lemma slightly shorter than upper glume, minutely hairy, 1-3-nerved with membranous margins. Palea slightly longer than lemma, glabrous. Anthers 5-8 mm, very narrow, indehiscent, brown. Pollen sterile. Seed fails to develop.

Robust perennial, 30-100 cm high, with thick fleshy rhizomes, forming rather open clumps. Culms stout, diameter over 8 mm, very closely sheathed with numerous leaves; ligule a row of dense hairs 1-2 mm long; leaf blades 8^45 cm × 6-15 mm, flat, ribbed above, persistent. Panicles usually absent, the only one recorded being 90 cm in length, erect and contracted, of 6 spikes 9 cm long.

Stiff perennial 5-100 cm high, with fleshy rhizome, forming large dense clumps and meadows. Culms stout, diameter over 5 mm, closely sheathed; ligule a row of hairs 2-3 mm long; leaf blades 5-40 cm × 5-12 mm, flat or inrolled, ribbed above, persistent or falling. Panicles usually numerous, erect and contracted, 10-30 cm long, of 2-8 spikes 5-15 cm long. Spikelets closely overlapping, oblong, 10-20 mm × ± 3 mm, usually 1-flowered, pubescent, falling at maturity. Glumes unequal with the lower up to three-quarters length of upper, and narrower; lower glume 1-nerved, ± 12 mm × 1.5 mm, keeled, oblong; upper glume 3- or more nerved, ± 17 mm × 3 mm, keeled, lanceolate-oblong with membranous margins. Lemma slightly shorter than upper glume, 1-3 nerved with broad membranous margins, hairy. Palea slightly longer than lemma, 2- nerved, glabrous. Anthers 8-12 mm, wide, dehiscent, whitish following dehiscence. Pollen ferule.