Rambling annual, rooting at the lower nodes, culms 20-100 cm long. Leaf-blades broadly linear to lanceolate, thin, 1-8 cm long, 2-13 mm wide. Inflorescence composed of 2-10 slender subdigitate racemes, each 2-8 cm long and tending to spread at right angles to the main axis, internodes filiform, glabrous, as long as or longer than the loosely spaced spikelets. Spikelets lanceolate-elliptic, 2.5-5 mm long; lower glume with a broad shallow median groove, glabrous (except for the bearded callus) or finely ciliate near the apex; upper glume weakly keeled or rounded on the back, acute; lower floret represented by a narrowly lanceolate hyaline scale; upper lemma linear, 1.5-2 mm long, hyaline, entire or minutely bidentate, with a capillary awn 6-20 mm long; palea absent or minute; anthers 2, each 0.5-1 mm long.

Fl. & Fr. Per.: August-October.

Type: Nepal, Wallich..

Distribution: Pakistan (Punjab, N.W.F.P. & Kashmir); India to Japan and Australia; tropical Africa.