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Spikelets narrowly lanceolate to lanceolate or narrowly oblong, acuminate, rather small, laterally compressed, pedicelled in loose or contracted panicles; rhachilla readily disarticulating between the florets and less readily between the upper glume and lower floret, glabrous, not produced beyond the upper floret. Florets 2, heteromorphous; lower ♂ or barren; upper hermaphrodite. Glumes more or less persistent, unequal, membranous to thinly chartaceous, 3-nerved, glabrous or hairy; lower lanceolate to ovate or ovate-oblong, acute, rarely obtuse, one-third to half the length of the spikelet; upper narrowly lanceolate to narrowly ovate, acuminate, acute, as long or nearly as long as the spikelet. Lower floret: valve similar to the upper glume, but as long as the spikelet, usually slightly thinner and 3- (rarely 1-) nerved; valvule linear to linear-lanceolate, much shorter than the valve, 2-keeled, with the keels narrowly winged, thinly membranous. Upper floret linear to lanceolate-linear, terete, with a minute truncate or obtuse bearded callus: valve membranous, at length thinly coriaceous, finely 5–7-nerved, with a dense submarginal tuft of hairs on each side about the middle, otherwise pubescent or glabrous, prominently 2-lobed and usually with each lobe tapering into a capillary bristle, awned from between the two lobes, with the awn very slender, geniculate and twisted below the bend; valvule linear, subequal to the valve and embraced by its involute margins, membranous, 2-nerved. Lodicules 2, narrowly cuneate. Stamens 2; anthers small, oblong. Ovary glabrous; styles free, terminal; stigmas plumose, laterally exserted. Grain oblong or obovate-oblong, sulcate on one side; scutellum over half the length of the grain; hilum linear. —Annuals or perennials; culms erect or geniculately ascending, slender, terete, few- to many-noded, branched or simple; leaf-blades linear to ovate, rounded or contracted at the base, short, flat or with involute margins, at length spreading or reflexed; ligule reduced to a hairy rim; spikelets paired or solitary, brown.