Annual or short-lived perennial, tufted. Culms 20–50 cm tall, 2–4-noded. Leaf sheaths smooth, glabrous; leaf blades narrowly linear, flat, 4–10 cm × 1–3 mm, abaxial surface subsmooth, adaxial surface scaberulous; ligule 1.5–2.5 mm. Panicle contracted, linear, 5–10 cm; branches short, erect, almost smooth, bearing spikelets to base; pedicels usually pubescent. Spikelets 3–4 mm, purple; glumes oblong-lanceolate, lower glume slightly longer than upper glume, keel scaberulous; callus hairs ca. 1 mm; lemma 1/2–2/3 spikelet length, back villous except below apex, awned from lower 1/3, apex irregularly toothed; awn weakly geniculate, 3–4.3 mm; palea ca. 2/3 length of lemma. Anthers 0.7–0.9 mm. Fl. and fr. Aug–Sep.