Stiff perennials 10-50 cm, with fleshy rhizomes forming dense clumps or swards. Leaf-sheath glabrous. Ligule 1-2 mm, densely ciliate. Leaf-blade 5-35 cm × 4-10 mm, persistent or caducous, coriaceous, flat or inrolled, glabrous, adaxially ribbed, narrowed to fine hard tip. Culm erect, 3-8 mm diam. near base including closely ensheathing leaves. Panicle 8-30 cm, erect, contracted; spikes 2-5-(14), 4-15-(18) cm; rachis of each spike glabrous, tipped by bristle 1.5-3.5 cm. Spikelets 10-20 mm, narrowly oblong, 1-flowered, minutely hairy. Glumes unequal, oblong-lanceolate, acute, finely hairy; lower ⅔-¾ length of upper and much narrower, 1-nerved, upper = spikelet, 1-3-nerved. Lemma < upper glume, 1-3-nerved, oblong-lanceolate, minutely hairy. Palea ≥ lemma, hyaline, glabrous. Anthers 5-8 mm, very narrow, shrivelled, indehiscent, with sterile pollen. Caryopsis not developed.

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.