Annual; culms 10-120 cm high, erect or geniculately ascending. Leaf-blades 3-30 cm long, 2-10 mm wide. Inflorescence 3-20 cm long; racemes 1-5 cm long, the rhachis puberulous (occasionally pilose), triquetrous or narrowly winged, bearing paired spikelets; pedicels commonly setose, those of a pair usually free. Spikelets lanceolate, (2.5-)3-5 mm long, thinly pubescent; lower glume absent; upper glume attenuate to an awnlet 0.5.4 mm long; lower floret represented only by a lemma; upper lemma with a mucro 0.3-1 mm long.

Type: Arabia, Schimper 806(K).

Distribution: Pakistan (Sind, introduced); throughout tropical and South Africa; also in Arabia and a few places in India and Thailand.

This is a grass that can adapt itself to wet or dry conditions, and is eaten by all stock. It is a probable introduction in Asia.