Annual up to 75 cm high; leaves flat. Panicle narrowly elliptic, 4–19 cm long; primary branches in whorls, those of the lowermost whorl bearing only 1 or 2 spikelets, sometimes barren. Spikelets 2–2.7 mm long; lower glume narrowly ovate, (0.8–)1.3–1.7 mm long; upper glume ovate, as long as the spikelet; lemma elliptic-ovate, 1.6–2 mm long; anthers 3, 0.9–1.4 mm long. Grain spherical, 0.85–1(–1.5) mm in diam.
