Perennials; culms simple or branched. Leaves linear, flat or inrolled; ligule membranous, glabrous or hairy. Inflorescence composed of slender spike-like racemes placed. Spikelets alternate, distantly placed on all side of main axis, oblong or lanceolate, not distinctly compressed, 2-10-flowered; rachilla jointed below lemmas, shortly white-hairy, not produced; glumes shorter than or as long as spikelet, equal or unequal, acute, membranous, l-nerved, persistent; lemmas distant, almost flat on the back, 3-nerved, apex shortly bilobed, midnerve prominent, excurrent into a mucro or short awn, the lateral nerves marginal; upper lemmas smaller, with imperfect flower or barren; paleas with 2 ciliate nerves; stamens 3, the anthers short; styles 2, distant, the stigmas plumose, bright purple. Caryopsis free between palea and lemma, ovoid or oblong, dorsally compressed.
About 15 species distributed in the tropical and subtropical regions.
0nly one species, D. fusca is found in salt marshes in Taiwan.
