Perennials, coumarin-scented. Leaf-sheath rounded. Ligule membranous to chartaceous. Leaf-blade flat. Culm several-noded. Inflorescence a ± lax panicle. Spikelets ovate, ± laterally compressed, usually 3-flowered with the two lower florets ♂ and the upper ☿ (in N.Z.); rachilla not prolonged. Glumes subequal, ≈ florets, ovate, 1-3-nerved midnerve percurrent, keeled, chartaceous to membranous. Lemmas of ♂ florets 3-5-nerved, firmly membranous to coriaceous, acute to bilobed, margins ciliate, dorsally to subapically awned, or awn 0, callus long hairy; lemma of ☿ floret 5-nerved, cartilaginous, margins convolute and covering the palea, emarginate, glabrous to hairy above, subapically short-awned to muticous, callus glabrous. Palea of ♂ florets 2-nerved, of ☿ or ♀ floret 1-2-nerved, < lemma. Lodicules 2. Stamens 3 in ♂ florets, 2 in ☿ floret. Ovary glabrous; styles 2, free to connate at base; stigmas long, plumose. Caryopsis ± elliptic, ± laterally compressed; embryo ¼-½ caryopsis; hilum linear, basal. Fig. 11.

Plant perennial, more or less rhizomatous. Culms several-noded. Leaf sheath and collar without auricles. Ligule laminate, thick to membranous. Leaf collar distinct, as wide as blade. Leaf blade linear, more or less tapering. Silica cells various more or less rectangular to round. Papillae not developed. Microhairs absent. Vascular bundles all similar. Chlorenchyma diffuse. Inflorescence a panicle. Spikelets all similar, pedicellate, more or less compressed laterally. Glumes subequal, chartaceous to membranous. Florets three, mostly: two lower male, upper hermaphrodite to female. Lemmas about oblong-ovate, 5-nerved, of male florets, with ciliate margins, mid-dorsally to subapically awned, of bisexual floret glabrous to hairy above, subapically short awned to muticous. Palea of male florets 2-nerved, of female floret, 1-2-nerved. Lodicules 2. irregularly 1-, 2-, or more lobed. Stamens 3 in male florets, 2 or 3 in bisexual. Ovary glabrous. Styles 2, free to connate at base. Stigmas long, plumose. Fruit more or less elliptic, somewhat compressed laterally, 2-4 mm long, free. Starch grains compound. Hilum basal, narrow elliptic. Embryo about 0.25 as long as fruit. Scutellum scutate. Epiblast present. Plumule sessile. Radicle more or less free from scutellum. First post-coleoptile leaf narrow, 3-nerved. Chromosomes of medium length (4-6 mcm long), basic number 7.