Annuals, or perennials, of variable habit. Leaf-sheath auriculate, or auricles 0. Ligule membranous, short, truncate or obtuse. Leaf-blade flat or ± folded, rolled or folded in young shoots. Culm ± decumbent to erect. Inflorescence a simple, stiff, terminal spike with mainly solitary spikelets alternating in two opposite rows and placed edgeways on and ± sunk in rachis. Spikelets 2-22-flowered, ± sessile, ± laterally compressed; disarticulation above glumes and between florets. Glumes both present and ± equal in terminal spikelet; lower absent in lateral spikelets, upper 3-7-nerved, coriaceous. Lemma 5-9-nerved, rounded, membranous to coriaceous; awn subterminal or 0. Palea ≈ lemma and similar in texture, 2-keeled, keels ciliolate. Callus glabrous. Lodicules 2, ± membranous, glabrous, ± lanceolate, entire. Stamens 3. Ovary glabrous; styles free. Caryopsis dorsiventrally compressed, longitudinally furrowed; embryo small; hilum linear, > ½ length of caryopsis.

Perennial and caespitose. Leaf-sheath split. Auricles falcate, clasping, hairy or glabrous. Ligule shortly truncate. Leaf-blade flat with many ribs. Culm unbranched, nodes glabrous. Inflorescence an open panicle of many-flowered laterally-compressed spikelets, disarticulation above glumes and between florets. Lemma lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, rounded, variously prickle-toothed; awn from between membranous apical lobes, or awnless. Rachilla prolonged. Stamens 3; anthers caudate. Ovary apex glabrous; styles subterminal. Caryopsis adherent to palea.