perennial; culms tufted, shortly ascending, subcompressed, 1/3–1 ft. long, glabrous, smooth, few-noded, sheathed almost to the base of the panicle; sheaths lax, particularly the lower, glabrous except at the scantily bearded mouth, striate; ligule a ciliolate rim; blades linear to lanceolate-linear, tapering almost from the base to a fine point, 2–3 in. long, 1–2 1/2 lin. wide at the base, flat or involute, more or less hairy on the upper side, otherwise glabrous, smooth below, scabrid in the upper part; panicle erect, ovate-orbicular in outline, divaricate, effuse, very loose, up to 8 in. long; axis glabrous, smooth, subangular; branches solitary, rarely 2-nate, subdistichous, lower almost 3/4 the length of the panicle, obliquely erect, divided from near the base; branchlets long divaricate, 2–1-spiculate, filiform to subcapillary, angular, scabrid; pedicels 1/2–1 1/4 in. long; spikelets oblong, compressed, 3–4 lin. by 1 1/4–1 1/2 lin, 6–9-flowered, light green, tinged with purple; rhachilla persistent, smooth; glumes subequal, lanceolate in profile, acuminate, almost 1 1/2 lin. long, herbaceous-membranous, 1-nerved; valves ovate-lanceolate in profile, acuminate, 1 1/2 lin. long, firmly membranous; lateral nerves somewhat prominent, keels scaberulous; pales somewhat shorter than the glumes, strongly curved, keels stout and spinulously ciliolate; anthers 2/5 lin. long. null
