Culms geniculate at base, shortly stoloniferous, 7–16 cm tall. Leaf sheaths glabrous; leaf blades flat, lanceolate, 5–12 cm, 2–4 mm wide; ligule 1–2.5 mm. Panicle contracted, 2.5–4 × 0.4–0.5 cm; branches single or in pairs; pedicels very short, setulose-pilose. Spikelets obovate, ca. 3 mm; glumes subequal, ovate, pale with green keel, 3-veined, sparsely setose, apex acute; lower florets as long as glumes, sterile, composed only of lemmas, densely appressed-pilose on back, apex 2-lobed; first lemma with awn arising from middle, awn straight, equaling lemma body; second lemma deeply bifid, awned from sinus, awn straight; bisexual floret less than 1/2 length of glumes, smooth, shiny; anthers ca. 3 mm. Fl. and fr. spring to summer.