A densely tufted perennial. Culms erect, up to 4 ft. high, moderately slender, simple, 2–3-noded, smooth, glabrous, or with a few hairs towards the nodes. Leaf-sheaths firm, densely bearded at the nodes with the hairs erect, more or less loosely hirsute along and near the margins and towards the apex with tubercle-based hairs, much shorter than the internodes, the lowermost villous at the base; ligule a densely ciliate rim; blade narrowly linear, narrowed towards the sheath, tapering to a fine point, up to 1 1/4 ft. (or more) long and 3 lin. wide, flat or involute, rigid, glabrous, or pilose on the upper surface and with scattered tubercle-based hairs on the lower. Raceme narrow, spike-like, erect, 2 1/2–13 in. long; rhachis glabrous; branches erect, appressed to the rhachis, 1–1 3/4 in. apart, simple, stout, 1 1/2–2 lin. long, pilose beneath the single triad or pair (rarely), alternating on each side of the rhachis; pedicels 0. Spikelets narrowly lanceolate, acuminate, 13–16 lin. long. Glumes 3-nerved; lower narrowly lanceolate, acutely or setaceously acuminate, 7–9 lin. long, firmly chartaceous to coriaceous, pale greenish-yellow, prominently nerved, closely setulose along the nerves with spreading bristly white hairs from brown tubercles; upper very narrowly lanceolate, subulate-acuminate, with a setaceous tip, as long or nearly as long as the spikelet, thinner than the lower glume and only sparingly setulose along the side nerves. Lower floret ♂: valve similar to the upper glume, but slightly longer, 7-nerved upwards and sometimes glabrous; valvule linear, acute, about 7 lin. long, keels minutely ciliolate upwards. Upper floret linear: callus pungent, 1 1/2 lin. long; valve 5 lin. long, acutely 2-lobed, with the lobes 1/2 lin. long, coriaceous, 7-nerved, glabrous; awn geniculate above the middle, slender, up to 4 1/2 in. long; column yellow, scabrid, up to 2 3/4 in. long; valvule linear, acute, 4 1/2 lin. long. Anthers 3, 2 1/2 lin. long. Ovary hairy at the top.
