A tightly caespitose perennial, often provided with well developed runners; base surrounded by hairy cataphylls and old leaf sheath remnants. Culms 40–120 cm., ascending to erect, glabrous, nodes dark and glabrous. Leaf sheaths scaberulous, glabrous or loosely hairy. Ligule 2–4 mm. long, subtriangular, shortly ciliate. Leaf laminae 5–20 × 0.2–0.4(0.7) mm., linear, flat to involute, minutely scaberulous on both surfaces, often with a few bulbous based bristles near the base, scabrous along the margins. Inflorescence composed of 3–10 racemes, 5–20 cm. long, erect, (2)3–6 together in a inferior whorl, sometimes a few solitary along a short common axis, and mostly 2–4 together in a second, superior whorl. Rhachis triquetrous, narrowly winged, up to 0.5 mm. broad, smooth to scaberulous, with scabrous margins. Pedicels 2-nate, 0.5–2.5 mm. long, subterete to subtriangular. scabrous, broadened at the apex. Spikelets 2.2–3.5 mm. long, oblong. Inferior glume up to 0.5 mm. long, ovate to triangular, sometimes acuminate and ciliate. Superior glume 1/2–2/3 of the spikelet, oblong triangular, 3-nerved, appressed hairy, hairs fine, smooth, acute. Inferior lemma as long as the spikelet, oblong, 7-nerved, nerves smooth or slightly scaberulous, appressed hairy, with or without bristle-hairs. Superior lemma somewhat shorter than the spikelet, oblong, acute, yellowish green to pale brown.
