Rhizomatous perennials with erect, few-noded culms. Leaves mostly basal, the blades narrow and erect; ligule scarious. Inflorescence a narrow, often spiciform panicle, its numerous primary branches bearing very short secondary racemes; raceme rhachis not fracturing at maturity, bearing paired similar spikelets each supported on a slender pedicel. Spikelets lanceolate to oblong, ± terete, enveloped in long silky hairs from callus and glumes; callus very short, truncate; glumes equal, as long as the spikelet, lanceolate to oblong, membranous; lower floret reduced to a lemma, this lanceolate to oblong, shorter than the spikelet, hyaline; upper floret bisexual; lemma lanceolate to oblong, shorter than the spikelet, hyaline, awnless; palea broad, hyaline, enfolding the flower; stamens 1-2, caryopsis ellipsoid.