perennial; culms erect or suberect from a short slender rhizome or from short rooting runners, sometimes densely tufted with short innovation-shoots, slender, 1/2–1 1/2 ft. high, glabrous, smooth, 2–3-noded, internodes exserted, uppermost by far the longest (3–9 in. long) and at length long exserted; leaves crowded at the base; lower sheaths short, broad, very pallid, persistent, upper tight or the uppermost subtumid; blades linear from an almost clasping base, tapering to a very acute point, 1–3 in. by 1–2 lin., flat, rigid, glaucous, closely striate; panicle 1–3 in. long, slender; axis pubescent or glabrous below; branches close or lowest more or less distant, very short, 2–4-spiculate, continued beyond the uppermost spikelet; spikelets about 2 lin. long; lower glumes minute, delicately hyaline, oblong-lanceolate, acute or notched, up to 3/4 lin. long, nerveless; upper glume lanceolate, subacuminate, prominently 5-nerved or 5-ribbed, thin between the hispid or spinulously ciliate nerves; valve lanceolate, subacute, 1 1/2 lin. long, 3-nerved, rigidly membranous to subhyaline, smooth, glabrous; pale equal to the valve, obtuse or 3-toothed, 2-nerved; lodicules broad, cuneate, fleshy, 1/6 lin. long; anthers linear, 1 lin. long or almost so. null
