Annual herbs, erect, rooting at lower nodes; culms robust, branching, spongy, glabrous, polished; leaves flat, cordate at base, sheath broad, glabrous, ligule a narrow membrene; inflorescence of suberect spikes, male spikelets terminal 2-3 nate, loosely imbricate on a slender rachis, lower glume papery, many-nerved with winged margins, densely ciliate, upper glume oblong, lanceolate, acuminate, thin – 9 nerved; lemma oblong-lanceolate, acuminate, membranous faintly 5-nerved; palea hyaline, 2-keeled; female spikelet basal, ovoid, surrounded by the hardened bract forming a head like bony involucre, yellowish white or bluish grey; lowr glume thinner; lemnia equal to spikelet; anthers 3, orange-yellow;fruit a caryopsis bluish gray, broadly ovoid to globose, smooth, polished.