Annual, growing in loosely tufted clumps, 3–6 in. high. Culms geniculately ascending, filiform, very weak, branched from most nodes with the lower branches interlacing and the upper short, but all ultimately flowering, terete or subangular, prominently striate, smooth and glabrous, nodes mostly exserted. Leaf-sheaths somewhat loose, subherbaceous, finely striate, softly hairy; ligule reduced to a fine ciliate membranous rim; blades lanceolate to lanceolate-linear from a gradually rounded and constricted base, acute, 1/4 to over 1 in. by less than 1 to 3 1/2 lin., flat, thin and soft, spreading more or less horizontally, loosely and softly hairy all over, midrib and primary lateral nerves (2 or 1 on each side) very fine or hardly differentiated, cross-veins none. Panicles exserted, or at least the lateral enclosed with their base in the supporting sheath, erect, broad-ovate in outline, from less than 1/2 to over 1 in. long and wide, rigidly open and loose, divided up to the third or fourth degree; common axis filiform, terete, glabrous, internodes 4–2 lin. long; primary branches like their divisions much spreading, to horizontal or deflexed, capillary; the ultimate divisions bearing 2 scattered spikelets; pedicels 1/2–1 1/2 lin. long, with truncate tips. Spikelets lanceolate to oblong, acute to acuminate, 1 lin. long, green, glabrous or loosely pubescent. Glumes thinly membranous, finely and prominently striate; lower lanceolate, acuminate, three-quarters to four-fifths the length of the spikelet, 3-nerved; upper corresponding in length and outline to the spikelet, 7-nerved. Lower floret barren; valve similar to the upper glume, but 5-nerved and sometimes slightly shorter; valvule more or less (sometimes much) reduced, linear, subobtuse, quite hyaline. Upper floret hermaphrodite, oblong, obtuse, 3/4 lin. long, whitish, polished: valve and valvule papery to subcoriaceous.
