Tufted perennials, low or moderately tall, with intraor extra vaginal new shoots. Leaf sheaths usually much shorter than internodes, with tuft of hairs at top on either side of ciliar ligule, hairs sometimes extending across back of lamina almost to midrib (dorsal ligule), abaxial surface ± shining, glabrous or hairy, adaxial surface with minute prickle teeth or glabrous; laminae disarticulating at ligule or persistent, flat or inrolled, short with hooded tip, or longer and ± flaccid with long fine acute tip, or stiff with semi-pungent tip, abaxial surface glabrous or hairy, adaxial surface with minute prickle teeth along nerves, occasionally with long hairs as well, margins smooth or scabrous. Inflorescence terminal, a raceme (rarely reduced to 1-3 spikelets), racemose panicle or panicle; spikelets few- to severalflowered, rhachis and pedicels slender, often hairy at branch-axils and usually scabrous to hairy below erect spikelets; florets hermaphrodite, diminishing in size from below upwards, the uppermost often reduced; rhachillae disarticulating obliquely above glumes and between florets. Glumes more or less equal, linear- to obovate-lanceolate, more or less acute, rarely ovate and obtuse, firmly membranous with hyaline margins, rounded on back, keeled above, 3-13-nerved, midnerve and main lateral nerves usually anastomosing towards tip, remaining nerves shorter with abundant, fine, anastomosing cross-veinlets, occasionally long-hairy between nerves; keel, nerves, and abaxial surface near tip usually scabrous, adaxial surface with minute prickle teeth. Lemma with two lateral lobes each usually tipped by a minute to long, straight awn (lobes, including awn, much less than, to more or less equalling, to up to twice, or more, as long as lemma body); central awn from sinus between lobes longer and stronger, usually geniculate, with more or less twisted basal column; lemma 5-9-nerved, nerves anastomosing below sinus and in wide part of lobes, also with several cross-veinlets between, back of lemma pilose in two complete or variously incomplete transverse series of tufts of rigid hairs, upper or lower series, or both, sometimes reduced to marginal tufts, sometimes ± hairy centrally between rows, occasional hairs on margins, lobes scabrous on back and along awns, sometimes scabrous adaxially, occasionally with longer hair near awn sinus, inner margin of lobe at sinus often distinctly finetoothed. Palea hyaline or rather firmer, keeled and infolded near margins, obtuse, truncate or shallowly bidentate, keels and apex finely ciliate, glabrous or hairy between keels, infolded margins glabrous or with a few long hairs, usually in lower half. Callus more or less flattened, hairy on edges. Lodicules 2, cuneate, fleshy, apically long-hairy. Stamens 3. Ovary 2-styled, styles persisting at top of fruit (caryopsis). Caryopsis free from lemma and palea but remaining included, more or less obovate to elliptic, plano-convex in cross section; embryo 1/3-½ length of caryopsis; hilum ± 1/3-1/5 length of caryopsis, round to somewhat elliptic.

Tufted perennials, short or moderately tall, with intra- or extravaginal branching. Leaf-sheath with apical tuft of hairs sometimes extending dorsally, abaxially ± shining, glabrous or hairy. Ligule a rim of hairs. Leaf-blade persistent or disarticulating at ligule, flat or inrolled, ± flaccid, or stiff, abaxially glabrous or hairy, adaxially minutely prickle-toothed, occasionally with long hairs, margins smooth or scabrid. Inflorescence a raceme, racemose panicle or panicle. Rachis and pedicels slender, often hairy at branch-axils and usually scabrid to hairy below erect few- to several-flowered spikelets; florets ☿; disarticulating above glumes and between florets. Glumes ± equal, firmly membranous, keeled above, nerves 3-13, anastomosing, occasionally internerves long-hairy, adaxially with minute prickle-teeth. Lemma with two scabrid lateral lobes usually tipped by a minute to long, straight awn; central awn from sinus longer and stronger, usually geniculate, column ± twisted; nerves 5-9, anastomosing; abaxially pilose in two complete or incomplete transverse series of tufts of rigid hairs, sometimes reduced to marginal tufts. Palea membranous, keels and apex finely ciliate, interkeel glabrous or hairy, margins glabrous or with a few long hairs below. Callus abaxially ± flat or rounded, disarticulation oblique, margins variously long hairy. Rachilla and prolongation glabrous. Lodicules 2, cuneate, apically long-hairy, or glabrous. Stamens 3. Gynoecium: ovary glabrous; styles 2, free, swollen below. Caryopsis free, obovate to elliptic, planoconvex; embryo ⅓-½ caryopsis; hilum ± ⅓-⅕ caryopsis, round to somewhat elliptic. Chasmogamous and cleistogamous. Plates 6A, 11, 12.

Plants fine tufted perennial less than 20cm tall; ligule ciliar; leaves flat to folded ± bristle-like; silica cells dumb-bell shaped; spikelets 3-5-flowered; glumes ovate-lanceolate to ovate, longer or shorter than spikelets; rachilla internodes 1/3 to ½ as long as lemmas; lemmas minutely 3-toothed, glabrous or with ± scattered hairs; callus ± flattened longitudinally; palea without long hairs; lodicules ± truncate, glabrous; hilum basal, round; embryo 1/3 to ½ as long as caryopsis.

Gramen tenue caespitosum perenne minus 20 cm altum; ligula ciliaris; folia plana vel plicata, ± setacea; cellulae siliceae halteriformes; spiculae 3-5-florae; glumae ovato-lanceolatae vel ovatae, spiculis longiores vel breviores; rhachillae internodia tertia pars vel dimidium lemmatum; lemmata minute tridentata, glabra vel pilis ± sparsis; callus ± longitudine complanatus; palea sine ullis pilis longis; lodiculae ± truncatae, glabrae; hilum basale, rotundum; embryo tertia pars vel dimidium caryopsis longitudine.

Plants moderately fine, tufted perennial, mostly less than 80 cm tall; ligule ciliar; leaflets mostly flat to folded, linear, mostly with two or more series of ± developed motor cells; silica cells dumb-bell shaped; inflorescence a panicle; spikelets 4-8 - flowered; glumes ± completely enclosing florets; lemmas conspicuously lobed; middle nerve prolonged into conspicuous awn with flattened and twisted base; long lemma hairs mostly in tufts in one or two ± complete transverse series; callus ± flattened, edges barbate; flowers hermaphrodite (cleistogens not known); lodicules 2, ± truncate, long ciliate; stamens 3; styles 2; caryopsis free, 2-3 mm long ± pyriform; embryo 1/3 to ½ the length of grain; hilum basal, round to somewhat elliptic.

Gramen tenuius, caespitosum, perenne, plerumque minus 80 cm altum; ligula ciliaris; foliola plerumque plana vel plicata, linearia, plerumque duabus vel pluribus seriebus cellularum bulliformium ± maturarum; cellulae siliceae halteriformes; inflorescentia paniculata; spiculae 4—8 - florae; glumae ± omnino flores amplectentes; lemmatum lobi conspicui; medius nervus in conspicuam aristam productus complanatam basi tortamque; lemma longum, pili plerumque penicillatim dissiti in 1- vel 2- ± completis transversis seriebus; callus ± complanatus, marginibus barbatis; flores hermaphroditi (cleistogenia numquam visa); lodiculae 2, ± truncatae, longe ciliatae; stamina 3; styli 2; caryopsis libera, 2-3 mm longa, ± pyriformis; embryo tertia pars vel dimidium caryopsis longitudine; hilum basale, rotundum vel paulo ellipticum.

Plant up to 3 cm high, mat forming rhizomatous; leaves folded, silica cells round to dumb-bell shaped; panicle of 1-2 spikelets; spikelets ovoid, 2-3-flowered; glumes ovate ± completely encasing the spikelet, 7-9-nerved, glabrous, ± coriaceous; lemmas ± ovate, minutely 3-toothed, coriaceous, 9-nerved, short pilose; lodicules 2, ± truncate, ciliate; stamens 3, anthers red; styles 2; fruit a nut; hilum basal, round spot; embryo 1/3 to ½ length of grain.

Gramen ad 3 cm altum, tegetem formans densam, rhizomatosum; folia plicata, cellulae siliceae rotundae vel halteriformes; panicula 1-2- spiculis; spiculae ovoideae, 2-3-florae; glumae ovatae ± omnino spiculam amplectentes, 7-9-nerves., glabrae, ± coriaceae; lemmata ± ovata, minute tridentata coriacea, 9-nervia, breve pilosa; lodiculae 2, ± truncatae ciliatae; stamina 3, antherae rubrae: styli 2; fructus nuciformis; hilum basale, rotundum; embryo tertia pas vel dimidium caryopsis longitudine.