Tufted annual, sometimes rooting from lower nodes, usually decumbent with spreading to ascending culms to c. 50 cm long; nodes hairy. Leaf-blades flat, 2–12 cm long, 3–12 mm wide, usually with scattered (to moderately dense) spreading hairs, margins often undulate; 1–2 mm long. Inflorescence a panicle of 2–6 spike-like branches, each 2–5 cm long, one-sided, the axis narrowly winged; pedicels c. 0.5 mm long, ciliate near apex. Spikelets alternating, overlapping, ovate to elliptic, 3.5–5 mm long, acute; lower glume 1–1.5 mm long, 3–5-nerved; upper glume as long as spikeleet, 9–13-nerved (some nerves not reaching to apex); lower lemma equal to spikelet, 5–7-nerved, usually 2 of these not reaching apex; lower palea subequal to its lemma; upper lemma broadly ellpitic, c. 1 mm shorter than spikelet (excluding awn/mucro), transversely rugose dorsally with a near-basal, flat, raised, circular germination flap, apical mucro hairy, to c. 1 mm long; palea finely transversely rugose. Flowers Feb.-Apr.
MuM, MuF. Also WA, SA, Qld, NSW. Native to tropical Africa, Yemen, India, and Pakistan. Occasionally recorded on flats of the Murray River between Hattah and Swan Hill.
