Perennial, up to 1 1/2 ft. high, compactly tufted on a creeping wiry rhizome; innovations intravaginal. Culms very slender, 2-noded, both nodes much below the middle of the culm, quite glabrous except at the bearded nodes and close to the inflorescence, terete or the lowest internode somewhat compressed, uppermost internode very long-exserted. Leaf-sheaths of the culms terete or the basal very slightly compressed and obscurely keeled upwards, narrow, with short stiff spreading hairs (the lower) or glabrous; ligule reduced to a ciliate rim; blade very narrow, linear, long-tapering to a callous point, rarely over 4 in. long, up to 1 lin. wide (flat), mostly folded or involute, flexuous, green, somewhat plump, loosely shortly hirsute or setulose on both sides, particularly on the face, with the hairs mostly spreading from minute tubercles, margins conspicuously cartilaginous, midrib slender, prominent below, lateral nerves inconspicuous. Inflorescence a slender, cylindric false spike, 1–1 1/4 in. long by 2 1/2 lin. wide (exclusive of the bristles), purplish-brown; rhachis very slender, shortly hispid; branches reduced to a sessile involucre supporting a solitary spikelet; bristles rigid, slightly flexuous, scaberulous, about 7 to each involucre, unequal, hardly up to 2 lin. long, purplish; pedicels reduced to small pubescent stumps with minute discoid tips. Spikelets ovate-elliptic in back view, semi-elliptic in profile, subobtuse, slightly over 1 lin. long by 1/2 lin. wide, glabrous, pale brown, tinged with purple. Glumes membranous; lower rotundate-ovate, subobtuse, up to half the length of the spikelet, 4–5-nerved; upper elliptic in outline, rather convex, obtuse, as long as the upper floret, 5-nerved. Lower floret ♂: valve as long as the spikelet, flat on the back, oblong-elliptic, 5-nerved; valvule almost as long as the valve; anthers 7/8 lin. long. Upper floret hermaphrodite, ovate-elliptic in back view, acute, 1 lin. long, very pale except the purple tip; valve and valvule thinly crustaceous, delicately rugose.
