Perennials. Culms tufted. Leaf blades linear or convolute; ligule a line of hairs. Inflorescence a single, cylindrical "bottle-brush" raceme, the spikelets on slender pedicels, reflexing, hanging from rachis. Spikelets strongly laterally compressed, florets several to many, often increasing in size up the spikelet, spikelet falling entire together with the pungent or hooked pedicel; glumes narrowly oblong, shorter than lemmas, 1-veined; lemmas lanceolate, papery with membranous margins, 3-veined, glabrous, strongly keeled, acute to setaceously acuminate; palea much shorter than lemma, gibbous, keels winged. Caryopsis laterally compressed, obliquely elliptic.

Three species: two in tropical Africa, the other endemic to SW China.

(Authors: Chen Shouliang (陈守良); Sylvia M. Phillips)