Robust, rhizomatous cane-like perennials; culms woody, persistent. Leaves cauline; ligule a shortly fringed membrane. Inflorescence a dense, silky to plumose panicle. Spikelets bisexual, pedicellate, 2–7-flowered, disarticulating between florets; glumes 2, equal or nearly so, keeled, awnless, 3–5-nerved; lemma dorsally rounded, 3–9-nerved, entire or shortly-lobed, the lobes often awn-tipped, often shortly; palea half as long as to subequal to lemma.
A tropical to warm-temperate genus of 3 species from southern Europe, N. Africa and eastward to Japan. One species introduced in Australia.
