HABIT	AN AQUATIC OR SEMI-AQUATIC TUFTED ANNUAL OR PERENNIAL GRASS.
STEMS	STOUT TO SLENDER, ERECT OR GENICULATE CULMS UP TO 1.5 M TALL, OFTEN ROOTING AT THE LOWER NODES.
LEAVES	LEAF-SHEATH LOOSE, SUBGLAUCOUS, SMOOTH, UP TO 10 CM LONG; LIGULE A FRINGED, HAIRY MEMBRANE, 1-2 MM LONG; LEAF-BLADE LINEAR, UP TO 50 CM X 1 CM, LONG-ATTENUATE, FLAT OR FOLDED, SCABRID ABOVE.
FLOWERS	INFLORESCENCE 10-60 CM LONG, COMPOSED OF NUMEROUS SLENDER RACEMES SCATTERED ALONG AN ELONGATE CENTRAL AXIS; RACEMES FLEXUOUS, 2-13 CM LONG, ERECT OR LAXLY ASCENDING.
FRUITS	SPIKELETS 3-7 FLOWERED, NARROWLY ELLIPTICALOBLONG, 2-3 MM, SUBSESSILE, OFTEN PURPLISH, DISARTICULATING ABOVE THE GLUMES AND BETWEEN THE FLORETS.
SEEDS	CARYOPSIS ELLIPSOID-OBLONGOID, 6-9 MM LONG, BROWN, SMOOTH OR WRINKLED.