perennial, tufted; culms erect, slender, 2–3 ft. long, glabrous, 3-noded, uppermost internode long exserted, simple; sheaths firm, closely striate, glabrous or more or less hairy, particularly in the upper part, the lowest persistent; ligules firmly membranous, truncate, very short; blades linear, tapering to a very long fine point, 6–12 in. by 1 1/2–5 lin., erect, rigid, flat or convolute, glabrous or more or less hairy and scaberulous above, very closely and strongly nerved; panicle erect, straight or curved, spike-like, cylindric, 5–10 in. by 3 lin., very dense; axis stout, striate, smooth; branches spirally arranged, very numerous, adpressed, filiform, smooth, up to 3 lin. long, divided from the base or reduced to fascicles of disc-tipped pedicels; spikelets ovoid, turgid, slightly oblique and often curved, acute to subacuminate, 1 lin. long, dull purplish, glabrous or hairy; glumes membranous, lower broadly ovate, acute, 1/2 the length of the spikelet, 3- to sub-5-nerved; upper ovate, curved, very concave, 7–9-ribbed; lower floret ♂; valve like the upper glume, but less concave and curved; pale about 3/4 the length of the upper glume, hyaline; anthers 1/3– 3/8 lin. long; hermaphrodite floret ovate-oblong, acute, 1/2 lin. long, whitish or yellowish; valve chartaceous, obscurely 5-nerved. null
