Plants perennial; with short, scaly rhizomes. Culms 1-4.6 m tall, to 2 cm thick, geniculate or long-prostrate and rooting at the lower nodes, often floating distally; lower and upper nodes glabrous. Sheaths mostly glabrous, but usually ciliate at the throat; ligules present on the lower leaves, 1-5 mm, of stiff hairs, reduced or absent on the upper leaves; blades 8-75 cm long, 5-30 mm wide. Panicles 15-40 cm, nodes and internodes scabrous; primary branches 2-7.5 cm, solitary to fascicled, erect or ascending, simple or compound, nodes and internodes glabrous or hispid, hairs to 4 mm, papillose-based. Spikelets 2.5-4 mm long, 1-1.8 mm wide, disarticulating at maturity, finely pubescent or glabrous, greenish to purple at maturity. Lower florets staminate; lower lemmas unawned, acute to acuminate or long cuspidate; anthers of lower florets 1-1.5 mm; upper lemmas apiculate to long cuspidate. Caryopses about 2 mm. 2n = 54, 72.

Echinochloa pyramidalis is native to Africa, where it is used both as a cereal and a pasture grass. It has been grown experimentally in Gainesville, Florida, but it is not established in North America.