Compactly tufted perennials. Culms 40–137 cm high, unbranched or branched, terete or compressed; internodes smooth, glabrous. Leaves: ligule to 0.3 mm long; blade flat or conduplicate, coiled or flexuose at maturity, to 20 cm long, to 3 mm wide. Inflorescences 15–39 cm long, 1–1.5 cm wide, densely congested and spicate or loosely contracted; branches tightly appressed, to 4 cm long, bearing spikelets from base. Glumes subequal or normal, awned, entire; lower glume persistent, 8–12 mm long, acute, 5-nerved, glabrous; upper glume 8–13 mm long, 1-nerved, sometimes hairy. Lemma 8–15 mm long, slightly longer than both glumes, involute, smooth or scabrous apically, without an articulation or pseudoarticulation; groove smooth; column distinct, 5–10 mm long, scaberulous; awns slightly but visibly unequal, straight; median awn 16–34 mm long; lateral awns 13–26 mm long, terete. Caryopsis furrowed in T.S., 5.4–7.6 mm long, more than twice embryo length.
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