perennial, densely tufted; culms erect, slender, 2–2 1/2 ft. long, glabrous, 3–5-noded, simple or with 1–3 flowering branches from the upper nodes; leaves mostly crowded at the base; sheaths terete, tight, glabrous, lowest widened, subpersistent; ligules membranous, short, truncate or rounded; blades linear, tapering to a long setaceous point, broad, rounded at the base or subcordate and subamplexicaul, 4–8 in. by 3–5 lin., flat, or convolute above, rather firm, glabrous, margins scabrid; racemes 2-nate, rather slender, 2–3 1/2 in. long, strict or subflexuous; joints and pedicels very similar, sublinear, 3 lin. long, shortly ciliate along the margins, tips hollowed, denticulate; sessile spikelets laterally compressed, wedged in between the pedicel and the joint, 3 1/2–4 lin. long, glabrous, callus short, acute, bearded, sunk in the hollow of the preceding joint; glumes coriaceous; lower linear-lanceolate, acuminate, 2-toothed, keels rounded and broad below, acute and scabrid near the tips, with a distinct groove (fold) extending between them to the acumen and with 2 fine lateral furrows in the upper third; upper 1-nerved, mucronate, or aristulate; valves subequal; lower lanceolate, 3-nerved, softly ciliate; upper linear-lanceolate, deeply bifid, lobes lanceolate, ciliolate, awn stout, 1 1/4–2 in. long, kneed and pubescent below the middle; pale linear-oblong, 1 lin. long, nerveless, ciliate; anthers 2 1/2 lin. long; pedicelled spikelets ♂, dorsally compressed or subterete, lanceolate, 5–6 lin. long; glumes subherbaceous, acuminate, often aristulate; lower acutely 2-keeled, keels scabrid or rigidly ciliate above, intracarinal nerves many (to 19), middle nerve stronger; upper linear-lanceolate, 3-sub-5-nerved, ciliate; valves linear 3-nerved; lower acuminate, 4 1/2 lin. long, ciliate; upper 3 1/2 lin. long, 2-toothed, muticous; pale linear, 2 lin. long, nerveless. null
