Plants annual. Leaves: auricles present on the basal leaves; blades flat. Inflorescence a spike; rachis somewhat straplike, breaking up into sections, each of which has a fertile spikelet at the base of 3 fused internodes, then with another spikelet, sterile or fertile, and then 1 or seed-producing spikelets reduced to a cluster of awned spikelets. Seed-producing spikelets with 1-2 florets; glumes subulate, curved at the base; lemma flask-shaped; veins 5-7, back papillose, tip awned. palea 2-keeled, veins extended as mucros. A genus of 1 species. Native to temperate Asia.