Perennials; culms slender or stout, more or less compressed; ligule short. Blade scabrous or hairy. Inflorescence terminal, digitately arranged in 1-several spikes. Spikelets lanceolate, 1-2-flowered, the lower floret fertile, the upper floret staminate or reduced, sessile, arranged in 2 imbricate rows along one side of the rachis; rachilla articulating above the glumes, protruding and sometimes bearing a reduced floret; glumes membranous, 1-nerved, shorter or equal to the lowest lemma; lemma chartaceous, dorsally compressed, 3-nerved, 2-toothed at the apex, the midnerve protruding into a slender awn; callus soft hairy, blunt; palea equaling the lemma, 2-keeled.
About six species distributed in Africa, Madagascar, Seychelles, India, South China, Taiwan, Australia and Pacific Islands.
Two species are found in Taiwan.
