Loosely tufted annual; culms 10-70 cm high. Leaf-blades broadly linear, 2-25 cm long, 4-14 mm wide. Inflorescence of 3 racemes borne on an axis 3-10 cm long; racemes 1-8 cm long, simple or the longest with branchlets at the base, bearing mostly paired loosely contiguous spikelets appressed to the triquetrous rhachis; pedicels shorter than the spikelets, 1-2 mm long. Spikelets elliptic to broadly elliptic, 2.5-3.5 mm long, glabrous or pubescent, acute to cuspidate, with or without a stipe up to 0.5 mm long; lower glume a third to half the length of the spikelet; upper glume and lower lemma membranous, or rarely the latter coriaceous; upper lemma rugose, subacute to acute.

Fl. & Fr. Per.: July-October.

Type: India, cult. at Uppsala (LINN).

Distribution: Pakistan (Sind, Baluchistan, Punjab, N.W.F.P. & Kashmir): Senegal to Yemen and southwards to Malawi, Rhodesia and South Africa; tropical Asia.