Perennial, up to over 1 1/2 ft. high, compactly cæspitose with intra- and extravaginal innovations, coated with the persistent tough basal sheaths. Culms erect, quite simple, 2-noded, with the upper node usually far below the middle, terete or somewhat compressed downwards, glabrous and smooth. Leaves crowded at the base; sheaths tight, terete, striate, the lower more or less hirsute or glabrous except at the ciliate outer margin, the uppermost often quite glabrous; ligules a ciliolate rim; blades linear from an equally wide or slightly constricted base, tapering to a callous point, 1 1/2–7 in. by 1 1/2–2 1/2 lin., flat, rather rigid, green, finely hirsute on both sides, and often bearded at the mouth, margins finely (sometimes obscurely) cartilaginous and remotely minutely spinulose or ciliate, nerves very slender or obscure, 3–5 primary lateral on each side distinguishable below only. Inflorescence erect, secund, of 4–2 oblique spreading secund spiciform racemes; common axis 3/4 to almost 3 in. long, filiform, semiterete and usually channelled below or flattened upwards, smooth or slightly rough and sparingly ciliate along the angles. Racemes simple, dense, straight, distinctly 2-seriate, 8–15 lin. long, greenish; rhachis somewhat wavy, rather flat on the green or dull purple back, triquetrous in cross section with narrowly winged lateral angles, 3/8– 2/5 lin. wide, minutely puberulous or scaberulous and loosely setulosely ciliate, internodes 3/8– 1/2 lin. long; pedicels solitary, extremely short, scabrid, setulose below the discoid tips. Spikelets imbricate in front view, laterally contiguous or nearly so, oblong to ovate-oblong, subacute or apiculate-acuminate, 1 3/4–2 lin. long, often slightly turgid, dull green except the lower glume which is sometimes purple, hairy. Glumes dissimilar; lower oblong to broad-elliptic-oblong, very obtuse or truncate and sometimes slightly emarginate, three-quarters to four-fifths the length of the spikelet, firmly membranous, 9–11-nerved, glabrous; upper nearly as long as the spikelet, subobtuse or minutely apiculate, thinner, 7-nerved with cross-veins from below, loosely hairy. Lower floret ♂; as long as the spikelet: valve broad- to elliptic-oblong, subacute or apiculate, almost hyaline on the back, finely 5-nerved, loosely reticulate from the base, hairy on the sides; valvule oblong, acuminate, as long as or slightly longer than the valve and then shortly exserted from the spikelet, the keels very narrowly but firmly winged upwards, the wings revolute in the acumen which is slightly incurved (that is curved towards the valve) and often forms a short horn-shaped hood; anthers 4/5–1 lin. long. Upper floret hermaphrodite, oblong, subacute, white to yellowish, its apex sometimes loosely clasped by the hooded part of the valvule of the lower floret: valve and valvule crustaceous, smooth. Grain oblong, yellowish-green; scutellum longer than half the grain.
