Robust, sparsely to densely hispid annual; culms 30-150 cm high, often branching. Leaf-blades linear to narrowly lanceolate, 1540 cm long, 8-24 mm wide, cordate to amplexicaul. Panicle narrowly oblong to pyramidal, 15-35 cm long, the branching tight or sometimes lax and giving the panicle a one-sided appearance. Spikelets mostly towards the ends of the branches, ovate to ovate-oblong, (4-)4.5-5.5 mm long, glabrous, acute to shortly acuminate; lower glume ovate, half to three-quarters the length of the spikelet, 5-nerved, acuminate, separated from the rest of the spikelet by a short internode; upper glume 11-13-nerved; lower lemma 11-13-nerved, its palea absent or reduced to a very short scale; upper lemma orange or yellowish, smooth and shining, usually persistent.