Plants perennial; rhizomatous. Culms annual, not branching above the base. Sheaths open, margins not fused; collars glabrous, without tufts of hair at the sides; auricles sometimes present; ligules stiff, scarious, ciliolate, those of the upper and lower cauline leaves usually similar; pseudopetioles absent; blades tapering both basally and apically, midveins usually eccentric, venation parallel, cross venation not evident; cross sections non-Kranz, without arm or fusoid cells; epidermes without microhairs or with unicellular microhairs, cells not papillate. Inflorescences terminal panicles. Spikelets laterally compressed, pedicellate, with (2)3-5(7) florets, distal floret(s) reduced and sterile, sometimes concealed by the subterminal florets; rachillas not prolonged beyond the terminal, sterile floret; disarticulation above the glumes and beneath the florets. Glumes 2, 1-5-veined, at least the upper glumes longer than 1/4 the length of the adjacent floret; florets laterally compressed; calluses glabrous or with a few hairs, rounded; lemmas lanceolate, cartilaginous to thinly coriaceous, 3(5)-veined, veins inconspicuous, apices unawned, sometimes mucronate; paleas from 1/2 as long as to subequal to the lemmas, 2-veined; lodicules 2, membranous, ciliate; anthers (1)2(3); styles 2, bases free. Caryopses obliquely ellipsoid, pericarp thick, easily peeled away at maturity, forming a conspicuous knob or beak, styles not persistent; hila linear; embryos 1/4-1/3 as long as the fruits. x = 10, 19.