Annual; culms 4-15 cm high, usually erect. Leaf-blades 0.5-5 cm long, 1-1.5 mm wide, minutely pubescent above. Inflorescence 2.5-6 cm long, often curved, partly included in the uppermost leaf-sheath. Spikelets 3.5-6 mm long, breaking up at maturity below each floret, the uppermost floret sterile; lower glume 3-5.5 mm long, the upper 3.5-6 mm long; lemma 2.5-3 mm long, with an awn 1-1.5 mm long, shortly hairy or occasionally the upper 2-3 glabrous.