Strong, erect, glabrous, light or dull green to purplish annuals, to 120 cm, in diffuse tufts with stems much branched near base. Leaf-sheath submembranous, rounded, somewhat keeled above, glabrous. Ligule a membranous rim c. 0.5 mm, tipped by a ciliate fringe usually c. 1 mm. Leaf-blade 8-20 cm × 4-8 mm, long-tapering, glabrous, firm, midrib prominent; margins sometimes undulate below, tip acuminate. Culm (20)-35-80-(100) cm, terete or compressed, nodes brownish, internodes glabrous. Panicle 15-35 cm, very lax, branches later widely spreading; rachis and branches smooth, branchlets and pedicels finer, minutely scabrid on angles. Spikelets 2.2-2.7 mm, glabrous, ovate-elliptic, obtuse, rather dull. Glumes very unequal; lower 0.6-1 mm, clasping spikelet base, truncate, sometimes with a central subacute tip, upper = spikelet, (7)-9-11-nerved, elliptic, subacute. Lower floret ♂: lemma 9-nerved; palea narrower, narrowly winged above, 2-keeled, keels glabrous; anthers 1-1.8 mm. Upper floret ☿: lemma 1.8-2 mm, elliptic, subacute, faintly striolate, glabrous, shining, light cream; palea narrower; anthers 1.2-1.6 mm; caryopsis c. 1.5-2 × 1 mm.