perennial, densely cæspitose; culms erect, very slender, 8–16 in. long, slightly compressed below, 2–3-noded, simple, finely puberulous and scaberulous close to the panicle, otherwise smooth, internodes enclosed or slightly exserted except the uppermost; sheaths terete, tight, glabrous, or sparingly hairy, lowest very firm, closely and strongly striate, persistent; ligule a minutely ciliolate rim; blades erect, very narrow, linear, tapering to a very fine point, usually setaceously convolute, 2–8 in. by 1/2– 3/4 lin. (rarely 1 1/2 lin. when expanded), rigid, with scattered very fine spreading hairs; panicle spike-like, cylindric, very dense, 3/4–2 in. by 2–3 lin.; axis puberulous; branches reduced to a single spikelet subtended by a subsessile one-sided involucre of 4–6 fine subequal scaberulous bristles, 2–3 lin. long, purplish or yellow above; spikelets oblong, acuminate, apiculate, 1 1/2 lin. long, pallid, glabrous; glumes membranous, lower broadly ovate, acute or subacute, about 1/2 as long as the spikelet or slightly longer, 3-nerved, upper ovate-oblong, acute or acuminate, shorter than the spikelet by 1/4, 5-nerved; lower floret ♂; valve oblong, acuminate or apiculate, 1 1/2 lin. long, 5-nerved; pale slightly shorter than the valve; hermaphrodite floret slightly shorter than the ♂, elliptic-oblong, apiculate, pallid; valve very finely and closely transversely wrinkled, 5-nerved, tips obscurely 3-toothed or mucronulate; anthers over 1/2 lin. long. null
