Perennial, 2–2 1/2 ft. high, from a short rhizome. Culms moderately stout to slender, simple, with a delicate silky down at the insertion of the sheaths, otherwise quite glabrous, uppermost internode (peduncle) up to 10 in. long, finely striate, slightly scabrid towards the inflorescence. Leaf-sheaths tight, firm, with densely ciliate margins, keelless, striate, smooth and glabrous, the lowermost appressed-tomentose at the base; ligule a shortly ciliate rim; blade linear from a hardly narrowed base, long-tapering to a slender point, flat, flexuous, 6 in. long by 2 1/2–3 lin. wide, somewhat glaucous, very finely hairy (with tubercle-based hairs) on both sides, somewhat rough on the margins upwards, midrib not more prominent than the slender primary lateral nerves which are up to 3/8 lin. distant at the middle. Inflorescence a continuous, or slightly interrupted, dense, false spike, 2–4 in. long by 2–3 lin. wide (exclusive of the bristles); axis slightly angular, finely puberulous; branches up to 1 1/4 lin. long, very slender, very finely puberulous, forming clusters of up to 6 mostly perfect spikelets; bristles slender, about 1 with each spikelet, very unequal, often shorter than the spikelets, the longest 2 1/2 lin. long, pale to dark purplish; pedicels up to 1/4 lin. long, with minutely discoid tips. Spikelets ovate-elliptic and apiculate in back view, slightly over 1 lin. to 1 1/4 lin. long and up to 3/4 lin. wide in profile, very smooth, glabrous, pale purplish or livid. Glumes thinly membranous; lower rotundate-ovate, subacute, 5–7-nerved, half the length of the spikelet; upper broadly elliptic, acute, 7-nerved, one-sixth shorter than the spikelet. Lower floret ♂: valve similar to the upper glume, but narrower and as long as the spikelet, 5-nerved; valvule elliptic-oblong, slightly shorter than the valve. Upper floret hermaphrodite: valve elliptic-oblong, acuminate in back view, 1 lin. long, very convex on the back, semi-ovate and beaked in profile, almost 1/2 lin. across, finely transversely rugose; valvule rather narrow as seen between the involute margins of the valve.
