Herbs, perennial. Rhizomes long, creeping. Culms 1 to few, 3-angled, smooth. Leaves many, aggregated on basal part of culm; ligule absent; leaf blade linear, stiff. Involucral bracts leaflike, spreading. Inflorescences spicate, sessile, with 2 to several clusters of spikelets. Spikelets falling as a unit when mature. Glumes subdistichous; basal 3 glumes veined, without a flower; apicalmost glume thickened, without veins, subtending a bisexual flower. Hypogynous bristles absent. Stamens 3; anthers linear-oblong; connective apex evident beyond anthers. Ovary oblong, 3-sided; stigmas 3. Nutlet long ellipsoid, 3-sided, apex without a beak.

One species: pantropical.

(Authors: Liang Songyun (梁松筠 Liang Song-jun); Gordon C. Tucker)