Mature glumes leathery, thicker than lemma, glossy, reddish-brown to black , glabrous to pubescent. Lower glume tightly encloses upper glume and florets. Lemma awns bent, twisted, early deciduous. Mature panicles open, pyramidal . Panicles often shatter and have more seeds than those of johnsongrass .
Foliage is killed by frost.
Dead stems with seed heads may persist through the cold season. Disturbed sites, roadsides, fields, agronomic and vegetable crops. Also orchards, vineyards, cotton fields, ditchbanks. Often grows in moist soils. Tolerates hot, dry conditions.