HABIT	AN ANNUAL GRASS.
STEMS	ERECT OR SPREADING, 10 – 100 CM TALL OR OCCASIONALLY TALLER, USUALLY ROUND IN CROSSSECTION BUT OCCASIONALLY MUCH FLATTENED.
LEAVES	LEAVES AND LEAF SHEATHS OF VERY YOUNG PLANTS OFTEN DENSELY HAIRY BUT WITH UPWARD-POINTING HAIR; UPPER LEAF BLADES AND LEAF SHEATHS MOSTLY WITHOUT HAIR; MARGINS AND BOTH SURFACES OF LEAF BLADES ROUGH WITH VERY FINE FORWARD-POINTING BARBS; LEAF SHEATH SPLIT WITH OVERLAPPING MARGINS , BOTH MARGINS BEING FRINGED WITH A BAND OF SHORT HAIR.
FLOWERS	VERY DENSE SPIKE; 1 – 15 CM LONG AND 0.6 – 2.0 CM WIDE, USUALLY STRAIGHT AND ERECT OR RARELY SOMEWHAT CURVED, THE LARGER ONES SOMETIMES WITH SHORT BRANCHES UP TO 1 CM LONG, AND COVERED WITH SHORT GREEN TO SLIGHTLY PURPLISH  BRISTLES WHICH GIVE THE INFLORESCENCE A BOTTLEBRUSH APPEARANCE.
SEEDS	ROUNDED ON ONE SURFACE BUT FLATTENED ON THE OTHER, FINELY CROSS-RIDGED, AND DULL YELLOWISHGREEN WITH BROWNISH SPOTS.