Densely tufted perennial; basal leaf-sheaths strongly striate with the nerves forming prominent ridges, often hard and yellowish, appressed silky hairy below; culms 30–120 cm. high, slender or robust, usually erect. Leaf-blades narrow, up to ± 30 cm. long, 3 mm. wide, usually rolled or filiform. Panicle very variable, loose and spreading to narrow and contracted, 6–30 cm. long, the lowest branches often whorled and hairy in the axils. Spikelets 4–13-flowered, linear, 4–10 mm. long, 1–1.5 mm. wide, grey-green, breaking up from the base, the rhachilla persistent below but fragile above; lower glume lanceolate, 1–1.8 mm. long, 1/3-3/4 as long as the lowest floret; upper glume narrowly ovate, 1.5–2.2 mm. long; lemmas ovate-elliptic, 1.8–2.6 mm. long, appressed to the rhachilla; palea smooth or minutely scaberulous on the keels, persistent; anthers 3, 0.8–1.1 mm. long. Caryopsis ellipsoid, 0.7 mm. long.
