Perennials. Rhizomes woody. Culms erect, terete, with transverse septa. Leaves basal, without a leaf blade. Primary involucral bracts subulate, cylindric, erect. Inflorescence a single spike, pseudolateral, with many spirally arranged imbricate glumelike bracts. Basal glumelike bracts empty, most subtending pseudospikelets. Pseudospikelets with 2 outer strongly keeled glumes and many non-keeled glumes, most subtending 1 stamen and a solitary apparently terminal female flower. Perianth bristles absent. Stigma 2, long, slender. Nutlet plano-convex, apex not beaked.

One species: tropical Asia, Australia, Madagascar, Pacific islands.

(Authors: Dai Lunkai (戴伦凯); Jeremy J. Bruhl, David A. Simpson)