Perennial, up to over 1 ft. high. Culms ascending in wide curves, slender, filiform, glabrous and smooth, 4–6-noded, remotely branched with the branches ascending in similar curves to the level of the main culm. Leaf-sheaths terete, rather tight, the lower loosened and slipping off or embracing the branch, about 3 in. long, quite glabrous or minutely ciliate at the mouth, smooth; ligules thinly membranous, very short, truncate; blades narrowly linear from an equally wide base, flat or (the upper) filiform-convolute, tapering to a blunt callous point, 3–6 in. by 1 1/2 lin. or if convolute up to 1/2 lin. in diam., the lower soon flaccid, upper flexuous, quite glabrous and loosely hairy, smooth, midrib and lateral nerves very fine. False spikes on long-exserted peduncles, 3/4–1 1/2 in. by 2 1/2–3 lin., dense, very dark greyish-purple; axis very slender; pedicels very short, with a few minute hairs below the discoid tips. Spikelets ovate-oblong in outline, acute to subacuminate, symmetrical, 1 1/4 lin. by 2/3 lin., sparingly hairy, hairs white. Glumes rigidly but thinly membranous, nerves slender, prominent; lower ovate, acute or subobtuse, half to two-thirds the length of the spikelet, 5-nerved; upper corresponding in outline and size to the spikelet (seen in dorsal view), 9-nerved, tips hyaline. Lower floret ♂: valve like the upper glume; valvule slightly shorter, linear, acute, with broad overlapping flaps; anthers 2/3 lin. long. Upper floret hermaphrodite, elliptic-oblong, obtuse, 3/4 lin. by 3/8 lin., pale, polished.
