Loosely tufted perennials. Culms 20–131 cm high, unbranched or branched; internodes smooth, glabrous, sometimes glaucous; nodes glabrous. Leaves: ligule 0.5–1 mm long; blade flat, coiled at maturity, to 70 cm long, to 4.5 mm wide. Inflorescences 8–69 cm long, 3–3.5 cm wide, densely congested and spicate or loosely contracted; branches loosely appressed, to 10 cm long, bearing spikelets from base or naked at base. Glumes subequal, acute, 1-nerved, scabrous or scaberulous, glabrous; lower glume persistent, 7–14 mm long, entire, awned; upper glume 8–15 mm long, notched or entire, aristulate or awned. Lemma 6–11 mm long, shorter than both glumes, convolute, tuberculate apically (sometimes sparsely) or smooth, without an articulation or pseudoarticulation; column poorly developed or distinct with 1–9 spirals, 1–9 mm long; awns subequal, 15–40 mm long, straight. Caryopsis terete, 5–7.5 mm long, ±twice embryo length.
Grows in Acacia, Brigalow (Acacia harpophylla), Bluegrass downs (Dichanthium spp.), Eucalyptus, Gidgee (Acacia cambagei), Mitchell Grass (Astrebla spp.), Eremophila and Melaleuca communities, on clays, redearths, sandy and alluvial soils.
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