Perennial from a short creeping rhizome, often with long surface stolons. Culms mostly 30–90 cm. high, erect or geniculately ascending, somewhat swollen at the base, often almost suffrutescent with tufts of innovation shoots arising at intervals on the tough wiry culms. Leaf-blades 5–16 cm. long and 2–7 mm. wide, involute or flat, glaucous, pubescent above and beneath. Panicle oblong, 6–12 cm. long and 2–4.5 cm. wide, loose or slightly contracted. Spikelets obovate in side view, up to 15 mm. long, the florets silky villous; glumes grey-green, glabrous or finely pubescent, acute to subobtuse, the lower 4.6–7.5 mm. long, the upper 6–9 mm. long; lowest lemma 8.5–14 mm. long, lobed for one-third of its length, the lobes often mucronate or shortly aristulate; awns 4.5–8 mm. long, straight, scaberulous; palea 4.3–5.8 mm. long, villous. Fig. 54, p. 166.