A densely tufted perennial. Culms erect, up to 3 ft. high, slender, rigid, simple, 2-noded, glabrous and smooth. Lower leaf-sheaths persistent, loosely hirsute upwards with tubercle-based hairs, the upper glabrous and smooth; nodes glabrous; ligule a densely ciliate rim; blade narrowly linear, narrowed towards the base, tapering to a finely acute tip, up to 1 ft. long, 1 1/2–2 1/2 lin. wide, flat, firm, glabrous, scaberulous on the lower surface, smooth above. Panicle narrow, up to 14 in. long, loose; rhachis scaberulous upwards; branches clustered, very slender, bare and simple for 1/2–2 in. from the base, scaberulous, up to 3 1/2 in. long; pedicels unequal, the lateral up to 1/2 lin. long, the terminal 1–2 lin. long. Spikelets lanceolate to narrowly oblong, 3 1/4–3 1/2 lin. long, brown. Glumes firmly chartaceous, 3-nerved, sparsely setulose with appressed white hairs from small dark brown tubercles; lower broadly ovate-oblong, truncate or rounded at the apex, 1–1 1/2 lin. long; upper lanceolate, acuminate, truncate at the apex, slightly shorter than the spikelet. Lower floret ♂: valve similar to the upper glume, but obtuse, as long as the spikelet and glabrous; valvule linear, 2 1/2 lin. long. Upper floret linear: callus truncate, 1/5 lin. long, minutely bearded; valve 2 lin. long, 2-lobed, with the acute lobes about 1/4 lin. long, thinly coriaceous, finely pubescent, 7-nerved; awn very slender, 4–8 lin. long; column 2–3 1/2 lin. long, minutely scaberulous, brown; valvule linear, as long as the valve. Anthers 2, 3/4 lin. long.
