A gregarious annual. Culms erect or geniculately ascending, 3–9 in. high, weak, very slender to almost capillary, simple or branched from the base upwards, 6–9-noded, puberulous to pubescent. Leaf-sheaths 2–8 lin. long, at length much shorter than the internodes, pubescent or glabrescent; ligule a ciliate rim; blade lanceolate to ovate, rounded at the base, acute, 2 1/2–11 lin. long, 1/2–3 1/2 lin. wide, flat, or folded when dry, densely pubescent on the lower surface, usually puberulous and with scattered long hairs on the upper; margins cartilaginous, minutely scaberulous, often undulate. Panicle ovate to elliptic, 1/2–1 1/2 in. long, 1/4– 3/4 in. wide, loose to moderately dense; rhachis flexuous, minutely scaberulous, pubescent in the lower part; branches semi-verticillate, clustered or the upper solitary, capillary, flexuous, minutely scaberulous; lateral pedicels 1/2– 3/4 lin. long. Spikelets linear-lanceolate to lanceolate, at length gaping, 1 3/4–2 3/4 lin. long, yellowish-brown. Glumes thinly chartaceous; lower lanceolate to narrowly ovate, acute or acuminate, 1–1 1/2 lin. long, sparingly setulose on and near the marginal nerves with white hairs from brown tubercles, scabridulous on the back; upper as long as the spikelet, lanceolate, finely acute to acuminate, glabrous, or minutely hispidulous and scabridulous. Lower floret barren: valve similar to the upper glume, but slightly wider and thinner and more finely nerved, minutely asperulous; valvule linear, obtuse, 1–1 1/2 lin. long, hyaline. Upper floret linear, pale brown: callus truncate, bearded with short white hairs; valve 1 lin. long, 2-lobed, with each lobe produced into a capillary flexuous whitish bristle up to 2 1/4 lin. long, finely 5-nerved, thinly chartaceous, with a tuft of silky white hairs at the base of each lobe, the remainder shortly pubescent; awn up to 6 lin. long; column 1 1/2–2 1/2 lin. long, dark brown; valvule obtuse, about 3/4 lin. long. Anthers narrowly oblong, 1/4 lin. long.
