Perennials, often rhizomatous. Leaf sheaths with free margins overlapping almost to the base. Panicle open or loosely contracted, composed of few spikelets. Spikelets large, wedge-shaped to oblong, flat, florets few to several; glumes unequal, membranous or scarious, shorter than florets, lower glume 1–3-veined, upper glume 3–5-veined; floret callus small, rounded; lemmas elliptic-oblong, usually papery, rounded on back, 7–9-veined, glabrous or puberulous, apex obtuse to truncate and erose, awnless or infrequently mucronate; palea shorter and narrower than lemma, scabrid to ciliate along keels, apex 2-toothed. Anthers 3, usually nearly as long as palea.

This is a small genus of decorative, mountain grasses with large, usually papery spikelets, almost endemic to China.

Four species: China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, ?Nepal, Tajikistan; four species (three endemic) in China.

(Authors: Chen Shouliang (陈守良); Sylvia M. Phillips)