Tufted, bright green, wide-leaved perennials, 60-120 cm, with strong rhizomes; branching intra- or extravaginal, with the extravaginal shoots spreading underground as long rhizomes. Leaf-sheath smooth, or very minutely scabrid, especially near margins. Ligule 1.5-6 mm, denticulate, taller than wide. Leaf-blade 6-15 cm × 3-8 mm, flat, finely scabrid on ribs and on margins, tip acute. Culm erect or geniculate at base, sometimes trailing, internodes glabrous. Panicle 18-30 cm, pyramidal, erect, branches spreading almost horizontally; rachis usually scabrid above, branches and pedicels closely scabrid. Spikelets 1.8-2.2 mm, green or purplish. Glumes subequal, lanceolate, acute; lower = spikelet, scabrid on upper ½ of midnerve, upper usually slightly shorter, scabrid towards tip with less noticeable prickle-teeth. Lemma 1.5-2 mm, glabrous, ovate, truncate, 3-5-nerved, lateral nerves usually very shortly excurrent, midnerve sometimes produced to very short awn subapically, or dorsally ± at midpoint, usually not projecting beyond lemma tip. Palea ½-⅔ length of lemma, bifid or ± truncate. Callus usually with very short hairs. Anthers 1.3-1.6 mm. Caryopsis c. 1 × 0.5 mm.

Tufted, bright green, wide-leaved perennial, 60-120 cm tall with strong rhizomes; branching intra- or extravaginal, with the extravaginal shoots spreading underground as long rhizomes. Sheaths smooth, or very minutely scabrous, especially near margins; ligule 1.5-6 mm, denticulate across top, longer than wide; lamina 6-15 cm × 3-8 mm, flat, finely scabrous along nerves on both surfaces and on margins, tip acute. Culms erect or geniculate at base, sometimes trailing, smooth. Panicle 18-30 cm long, pyramidal, erect, branches spreading almost horizontally; rachis usually scabrous above, branchlets and pedicels closely scabrous. Spikelets 1.8-2.2 mm, green or purplish. Glumes subequal, lanceolate, acute; lower glume = spikelet, scabrous on upper ½ of midnerve, upper glume usually slightly shorter, scabrous towards tip with less noticeable prickle-teeth. Lemma 1.5-2 mm, smooth, glabrous, ovate, truncate, 3-5-nerved, lateral nerves usually very shortly excurrent, midnerve sometimes produced to very short awn from near tip or dorsally from just above midpoint, not usually projecting beyond lemma tip. Palea ½-2/3 length of lemma, bifid or ± truncate. Callus usually with very short hairs. Anthers 1.3-1.6 mm. Caryopsis c. 1 × 0.5mm.