Belongs to the monotypic genus; Subfamily: Panicoideae; Tribe: Lecomtelleae.

Perennial with thick bamboo-likescandent culms 1 - 2 m long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades lanceolate. Inflorescence an oblong contracted panicle 5 - 6 cm, with male spikelets on lower parts of the panicle branches and one bisexual spikelet at the tip of each branch. Bisexual spikelets 2-flowered. Glumes shorter than spikelet. Lower floret male. Upper floret female, the callus with two apical wings.

L. madagascariensis forms a sister clade to the four tribes Paniceae, Paspaleae, Arundinelleae and Andropogoneae (Burke & al., 2016).