Perennial. Culms erect, up to 2 1/2 ft. high, slender, simple, 3-noded, glabrous, smooth; uppermost internode finally exserted. Leaf-sheaths at length shorter than the internodes, striate, the lower pubescent towards the blade, the remainder glabrous and smooth; ligule truncate or obtuse, 1–1 1/4 lin. long, membranous; blade narrowly linear, tapering to a fine point, up to 1 ft. long, 1 lin. wide, flat, flaccid, sparsely pubescent and prominently nerved on the upper surface, or glabrous and smooth. Panicle narrow, 3–7 in. long, about 1/2 in. wide, contracted; rhachis slender, smooth; branches erect, filiform, few-spiculate, mostly simple, somewhat remote, paired, nearly smooth, the lower up to 1 1/2 in. long; lateral pedicels 1/4– 3/4 lin. long, the terminal elongated. Spikelets narrowly oblong, 4 1/2–6 lin. long, pale green or tinged with purple. Glumes hyaline; lower narrowly lanceolate, finely acute, 3 lin. long, 1-nerved and with 2 short side nerves; upper lanceolate-oblong, acutely acuminate, 4 lin. long, 3-nerved, with the side nerves extending to beyond the middle, scaberulous on the keel upwards. Florets 2; rhachilla-internodes 1 1/2 lin. long, loosely ciliate upwards with hairs up to 1 lin. long; callus obtuse, about 1/4 lin. long, shortly bearded. Valves exserted, linear-lanceolate and acute in profile, 4 lin. long (lower), firmly membranous, finely 5–7-nerved, glabrous, asperulous, shortly bifid at the apex, with each lobe bearing a short bristle; awn from just above the middle of the valve, 6 1/2–8 lin. long, geniculate, very slender; column loosely twisted, 3–3 1/2 lin. long. Valvule linear-oblong, up to 3 1/2 lin. long, keels scabridly ciliolate upwards. Anthers 1 lin. long. Ovary hispidulous at the apex. Grain 2 lin. long.