Annual; culms up to 1 m high, erect or geniculately ascending, occasionally rooting at the lower nodes, glabrous below the inflorescence. Leaf-blades flat, (5-) 10-30 cm long, 2.6 mm wide, tapering at the apex; basal sheaths strongly keeled and often flabellate. Inflorescence of 4-12 digitate, spreading, feathery spikes 2-10 cm long. Spikelets (2-)3-flowered, 2-awned; lower glume 1.5-2.5 mm long; upper glume 2.5-4.5 mm long including the short awn-point if present; lowest lemma obliquely obovate in side view, 254 mm long, pallid or dark, ciliate along the margins, keel and flanks, with a crown of hairs 1.5-4 mm long, the awn 5-15 mm long; callus rounded, ciliate; 2nd lemma slightly projecting from the side of the lowest lemma, oblong, 2-2.5 mm long, glabrous, with an awn 5-12 mm long; 3rd lemma an awnless clavate scale 0.5-1.2 mm long.