Tufted perennial with slender, sometimes geniculate culms 5-40 cm high, the base of ten clad in a tuft of old fibres. Leaf-blades filiform, usually involute and finely tapering, very rarely flat and then up to 3 mm wide, up to 12 cm long, usually much less. Inflorescence a spike-like panicle either elongate and up to 7 cm long or ovate and up to 2 cm long. Spikelets 3-flowered; glumes sparsely hairy on the outer surface, the lower 2.3-5 mm long, 3-7-nerved, the upper 2.8-5.5 mm long, 3-5-nerved; fertile lemma, including awns, 4-7 mm long; uppermost lemma 0.5-2 mm long; anthers 0.3-0.5 mm long.

Type: Arabia, Botta (P).

Distribution: Pakistan (Sind, Baluchistan & Punjab); North Africa through Arabia to India and China; tropical and South Africa.

Enneapogon brachystachyus is a widespread species allied to Enneapogon cenchroides but, apart from the anther length, it is usually fairly easy to recognise by its shorter stature and filiform leaf-blades