small, glabrous, tufted, annual; stem 1–5 in. long, setaceous, carrying one apparently lateral spikelet; leaves few, near the base of the stem, 1/2–1 in. long, linear; lower bract as though a continuation of the stem, 1/4– 1/2 in. long; spikelet horizontal, 1/6– 1/5 in. long, ellipsoid, obtuse, dense, hard; glumes ovate, obtuse; hypogynous bristles 0, but a small oblong lateral hyaline scale is sometimes present within the glume; stamen 1; anther very small, oblong; nut 1/2 the length of the glume, oblong-obovoid, biconvex, smooth, reticulate, finally black; style hardly any, branches 2 linear, much shorter than the nut. null
