HABIT	A VIGOROUS ANNUAL (IN STRONGLY DESICCATING SOIL) OR SHORT-LIVED PERENNIAL, UP TO 1.5 M TALL.
STEMS	TUFTED, SOMETIMES WITH STILT ROOTS, ROOTING AT THE NODES, WITH ERECT, SLANTING OR ASCENDING, OFTEN MUCH-BRANCHED CULMS.
LEAVES	THE LEAF BLADES ARE ACUMINATE, THE LOWER ONES NARROWED GRADUALLY TO THE BASE; 30 CM LONG, 1.5 CM WIDE; THE MARGIN IS CARTILAGINOUS AND SCABRID, THE BASE DENSELY HAIRY. THE LIGULE IS VARIABLE, A BROWNISH MEMBRANE, 6 MM DEEP.
FLOWERS	THE INFLORESCENCE IS TERMINAL, APPARENTLY SIMPLE WHEN YOUNG, BUT SEPARATING WITH AGE INTO ITS TWO CONSTITUENT RACEMES, USUALLY 7-10 CM LONG; EACH RACEME WITH THE SPIKELETS ARRANGED IN PAIRS, ONE SESSILE, ONE PEDICELLED, ON ONE SIDE OF THE TRIANGULAR, HAIRY RACHIS.
FRUITS	SPIKELETS ARE BOAT SHAPED; YELLOWISH BROWN, SHINY; LOWER GLUME OF THE SESSILE SPIKELETS IS MEMBRANOUS WITH DISTINCT TRANSVERSE RIDGES (HENCE RUGOSUM).