perennial, densely tufted; culms erect, simple, 1–2 ft. long, glabrous, smooth, 2-noded; leaves crowded at the base; lowest sheaths very firm, compressed or open, persistent, glabrous, very rarely pubescent, strongly striate, the upper tight or the uppermost tumid; ligules ovate, obtuse, up to 1 1/2 lin. long; blades of the basal and culm-leaves linear-lanceolate to lanceolate from a long and narrow or broad and clasping base, acute, 4–8 in. by 2–5 lin., rather thick and firm, flat or convolute, glaucous, glabrous, smooth or rough, margins sometimes wavy, upper blades linear, convolute, short; panicle oblong to sublinear, erect or nodding, 3–5 in. long, rather loose; rhachis smooth; branches in distant semi-whorls or pairs, unequal, up to 2 1/2 in. long, the lowest branched, the others simple, 3–1-spiculate, filiform, glabrous, tips thickened; pedicels up to 6 lin. long; spikelets lanceolate-oblong, strongly compressed, 5–6 lin. long, greenish; glumes ovate-oblong, scarious, obscurely 5-nerved, glabrous, the lower 1 1/2–2 lin. long, obtuse, the upper 2 1/2 lin., sometimes emarginate; lower empty valve linear-oblong, gradually or abruptly contracted into a short bristle, 3–4 lin. long, prominently 5–7-nerved, scaberulous above, bearded at the base in front and behind; upper empty valve lanceolate, gradually narrowed into an awn, 5 lin. long, 7–9-nerved, scaberulous, base with a short beard and a tympanum-like pit on each side; awn 2–4 lin. long; fertile valve linear-oblong, acute, 5 lin. long, glabrous except for a beard at the base and the ciliate tip, 7–9-nerved; lodicules glabrous, 1 lin. long; stamens 6; anthers 2 1/2 lin. long; stigmas plumose. null