Loosely or compactly tufted perennials. Culms 33–128 cm high, branched, sometimes strongly; internodes smooth or scabrous, glabrous, sometimes glaucous. Leaves: ligule 0.3–1 mm long; blade involute or flat or conduplicate, not coiled or flexuose at maturity, to 20–25 cm long, to 1–4 mm wide. Inflorescences 12–31.5 cm long, 2–20 cm wide, loosely contracted or ±open; branches loosely or not appressed, 2.5–18 cm long. Glumes inverse to normal, obtuse or acute, 1-nerved, glabrous, smooth; lower glume caducous, 5.5–20 mm long, entire, aristulate; upper glume 5.5–15 mm long, notched or entire, awnless or aristulate. Lemma 7–9.5 mm long, usually shorter than both glumes, involute, smooth, without an articulation or pseudoarticulation; groove smooth or tuberculate; column absent; awns slightly but visibly unequal, straight; median awn 10–31 mm long; lateral awns 8–27 mm long, flattened. Caryopsis furrowed in T.S., more than twice embryo length.
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