Annuals or biennials, 30-75 cm, loosely tufted or consisting of a solitary culm. Leaf-sheath densely short-pubescent; upper sheaths often ± glabrous. Ligule 1.5-2.5 mm, lacerate. Leaf-blade 6-25 cm × 2-6 mm, flaccid to firm, with short soft hairs; margins and acute tip finely scabrid. Culm (10)-25-55 cm, erect or geniculate-ascending, internodes glabrous or with minute fine hairs. Panicle 15-20 cm, nodding; branches usually >, or = spikelets, few, scabrid, widely spreading and drooping, tipped by 1-3 spikelets. Spikelets 3.5-6.5 cm, 4-14-flowered, oblong-lanceolate to later wedge-shaped and gaping, light green to purple-suffused. Glumes unequal, membranous, glabrous, but sparsely scabrid on keel and nerves above; lower 8-12.5 mm, 1-(3)-nerved, subulate, acuminate, upper 12.5-16 mm, 3-nerved, linear-lanceolate. Lemma 14-22 mm, 7-nerved, rounded, narrowly lanceolate, minutely scabrid, narrowed above to 2 acute to acuminate, hyaline, glabrous to finely scabrid lobes, 1-2 mm; awn 15-25-(30) mm. Palea c. ⅔ length of lemma, keels sparsely ciliate. Callus with minute hairs. Rachilla c. 2 mm, very sparsely minutely scabrid. Anthers 1-2 mm. Caryopsis 8.5-12 × 1-1.8 mm.