Perennials, usually caespitose; branching intravaginal. Leaves flat, involute or setaceous. Ligule membranous, acute or obtuse. Inflorescence a lax or contracted panicle. Spikelets rather small, membranous, laterally compressed, pedicelled, 2- or sometimes 3-flowered, chasmogamous or cleistogamous; disarticulation above glumes; rachilla prolonged. Glumes subequal, ≤ florets, 1-3-nerved. Lemma rounded, truncate, irregularly toothed at apex, obscurely 5-nerved; awn dorsal or subapical, or 0. Palea ≈ lemma, 2-keeled. Lodicules 2. Stamens 3, sometimes 1-2. Caryopsis oblong; embryo small; hilum punctiform or shortly elliptic; endosperm solid.