Perennial, cæspitose on a very short rhizome with mostly extra vaginal innovations. Culms 1 to over 3 ft. high, slender to somewhat stout, terete, erect or geniculate, 5–7-noded, lower and intermediate internodes usually shorter than the adjacent sheaths, the uppermost long-exserted. Leaf-sheaths terete and tight, or the lower more or less compressed and loose, hirsute or the upper, rarely all, subglabrous or glabrous, very finely striate; ligules ciliolate; blades linear from an equally wide or slightly narrowed base, long-tapering to an acute point, up to 8 in. by 2–4 lin., or in stunted specimens 1 1/2–2 in. by 1 1/2–2 lin., flat, pale or glaucous-green, hirsute on both sides, or glabrous below, margins cartilaginous, rough, midrib very slender, nerves numerous, close, finely rough above. Racemes 4–8 (rarely 2 or 3), slender, straight or somewhat flexuous, 1 1/2–5 1/2 in. long; rhachis up to 2/5 lin. wide, puberulous on both sides, wings scabrid or ciliate, greyish-green; pedicels scabrid, the longer about 1/2 lin. long. Spikelets 1–1 1/2 lin. long (excluding the awn), pale greyish or brownish-green. Upper glume ovate, acute or mucronulate, 1/6– 1/5 lin. long, pale, 1-nerved or nerveless. Lower floret: valve spinulously ciliolate on the keels, very scabrid along all the nerves, awn very fine, straight, 3–5 lin. long, often purplish; valvule square, up to almost 1/10 lin. long. Upper floret linear-oblong, acute, 4/5–1 lin. long, brown, early darkening except at the pale or whitish margins. Anthers 2/5– 3/4 lin. long. Grain whitish, 3/4– 1/3 lin. long.
