Perennial, up to 75 cm. high, densely to laxly caespitose. Culms erect, slender, simple or rarely branched, glabrous, 1- to several-noded; nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheaths firm, glabrous, or the lower densely woolly. Ligule a short-ciliate rim; auricles pubescent or glabrous; collar glabrous. Leaf-laminae up to 30 x 0·25-3 cm., involute, setaceous, curved or flexuous, the upper exceeding the panicle, scaberulous or hispidulous above, smooth beneath. Panicle up to 30 cm. long, or longer, lax, open, with a smooth axis; branches c. 15 cm. long, 2- or 3-nate, filiform or capillary, more or less spreading, remote, flexuous, scaberulous or smooth. Spikelets yellowish, yellowish-brown to purple, purplish-brown, suberect to nodding. Glumes unequal, rather firm, 1-nerved, glabrous, obtuse or slightly emarginate with a glabrous keel; the inferior 4-9 mm. long, fairly broad, obtuse; the superior 10-17 mm. long, narrow, with a subacute but slightly 2-fid apex. Lemma 9-13 mm. long, smooth, or slightly scaberulous towards the apex; callus c. 1 mm. long, 2-fid, barbate; column 2-6 mm. long, slightly twisted; awns fine, subequal, scabrous, the central awn up to 23-25 mm. long, the later ones 20-30 mm. long; articulation between the apex of the lemma and the base of the column.