Habit : An annual grass with stem suberect or geniculately ascending and rooting from the lower nodes, very slender, terete, glabrous, simple or branched.
Leaves : Linear, acute, flate, flaccid, glabrous, sheaths glabrous or upper with scattered bulbous-based hairs towards the mouth, ligules membranous, rounded, glabrous.
Inflorescence and Flowers :
Panicle erect, usually dense, lower branches solitary or 2-3-nate, filiform, glabrous, undivided, spathes linear to subulate from a broad lanceolate base, glabrous or with bristles, racemes, erect. Involucralspikelets whorled, sessile persistent, linear-lanceolate, barren or imperfectly male, lower involucral glumebaset along the winged keels with stiff bristles.
Pedicellate spikelets narrow, not winged, glabrous.
Bisexual spikelet solitary not exserted, narrow, linear-lanceolate, callus very short, lower involucral glume obtuse, brown, 6-7 nerved, upper involucral glume glabrous lower floral glume shorter than the involucral glumes, sometimes 2-toothed, upper floral glume awned, awn slender. Anthers 1mm long.
The lower involucral glume of the bisexual spikelet is shining but beset all over with rather stiff hairs.
