A tufted perennial, from a slender rhizome, 3/4–1 1/2 ft. high, with intravaginal innovations. Culms erect, or geniculate at the base, slender, 1–2-noded at the base, simple, glabrous, smooth; uppermost inter-node finally long-exserted. Leaves glabrous; sheaths overlapping, finely striate, smooth; ligule oblong, truncate, 1/2–2 lin. long, membranous; blade narrowly linear, with a hard obtuse tip, 2–8 in. long, convolute, or flat and up to 1 1/4 lin. wide, rather stiff, scaberulous on the upper surface, smooth below. Panicle narrow, linear, contracted, 2 1/2–6 1/2 in. long, 1/4– 1/2 in. wide; rhachis smooth below, scaberulous towards the apex; branches 2–5-nate, erect, finely filiform, closely spiculate, scaberulous; pedicels unequal, 1/2–2 lin. long. Spikelets oblong, at length gaping, 1 3/4–2 lin. long, variegated with purple and dark green; rhachilla produced, up to 1/3 lin. long, hairy. Glumes lanceolate and acute in profile, scaberulous on the keel upwards, firmly membranous, 1-nerved, or with 2 short side nerves, subequal or the upper slightly shorter. Valve broadly ovate when flattened, denticulate-truncate, 1 1/4 lin. long, thinly membranous, finely pubescent except in the upper third, or glabrous and minutely asperulous, 5-nerved, with the side nerves excurrent, the outermost into mucros up to 1/3 lin. long; awn inserted near the base of the valve, geniculate, 2 1/4–3 lin. long, with the column 1 lin. long; callus shortly bearded. Valvule narrowly oblong, truncate, about 1 lin. long, finely 2-nerved. Anthers 1/2 lin. long.