A densely tufted perennial. Culms erect or slightly geniculate, 3–4 ft. high, moderately slender, terete, simple, 2–3-noded, glabrous and smooth. Leaf-sheaths firm, the lowermost densely pilose at the base, otherwise glabrous and smooth, the intermediate and upper much shorter than the internodes; ligule a densely ciliolate rim; blade narrowly linear, setaceous, with an obtuse tip, up to 1 1/4 ft. long, tightly convolute, up to 1/2 lin. in diameter, rigid, the lower densely bearded at the base and ciliate on the margins in the lower part with tubercle-based hairs, otherwise quite glabrous and smooth. Panicle spike-like, very dense, 2–4 in. long, 3 1/2–6 1/2 lin. wide (exclusive of the awns); rhachis slender, glabrous and smooth; branches up to 1 1/2 lin. long, smooth, 4–1-spiculate; pedicels very short, smooth. Spikelets erect, narrowly lanceolate, acuminate, 5–6 lin. long, straw-coloured. Glumes 3-nerved; lower linear-lanceolate or lanceolate, acute or obtuse, 3 3/4–4 1/2 lin. long, thinly coriaceous, dorsally flattened, setulose along the lateral nerves in the upper two-thirds with short rigid white hairs from closely packed dark brown tubercles, pubescent near the margins towards the base or glabrous; upper linear-lanceolate, rotundate-obtuse at the apex, as long or nearly as long as the spikelet, chartaceous, hairy near the margins about the middle with fine white hairs from minute brown tubercles. Lower floret ♂: valve similar to the upper glume, but finely acute, slightly thinner, glabrous, minutely scaberulous towards the apex; valvule linear, obtuse, 3 1/2–4 lin. long, membranous, with the keels narrowly winged and asperulous. Upper floret lanceolate-linear: callus slightly emarginate, 1/3– 1/2 lin. long, densely bearded; valve 2 1/2 lin. long, entire at the apex, at length coriaceous, 7-nerved, minutely and appressedly pubescent; awn slender, 1 1/4–1 1/3 in. long; column minutely scaberulous, about 5 lin. long; valvule linear, as long as the valve. Anthers 2, 1–2 lin. long.