Annuals or perennials, often glandular on leaf-sheath and inflorescence (those glands referred to in the key and descriptions may be raised crateriform warts or band-like patches on the inflorescence branches, leaf-sheaths and blades and sometimes the lemmas; other types of gland, much less conspicuous, occur sporadically throughout the genus). Leaf-blades linear; ligule usually reduced to a ciliate rim, rarely membranous. Inflorescence an open, contracted or spike-like panicle, the branches sometimes racemose but at least the longer with short side branchlets, rarely ending in a slender bristle. Spikelets laterally compressed, variously disarticulating, awnless; glumes mostly subequal, shorter than the lowest lemma and 1-nerved; lemmas 3-nerved, mostly glabrous, acuminate to emarginate, rarely mucronulate; palea a little shorter than the lemma, deciduous or persistent, the keels sometimes long-ciliate, rarely winged; anthers 2-3. Caryopsis usually globose to ellipsoid, smooth or finely striate to finely reticulate, the pericarp adherent (sometimes slightly loose but never free).