Perennial. Culms very stout, erect, up to 2.5 m, 7–10 mm in diam., nodes densely pubescent, glabrescent. Leaf sheaths slightly inflated, tuberculate-hispid when young, margins ciliate; leaf blades linear-lanceolate, flat, rather rigid, 30–60 cm × 10–25 mm, glabrous or tuberculate-hispid, midrib broad, white, apex long acuminate; ligule 0.5–1 mm. Panicle loosely contracted, (20–)30–70 cm; central axis almost smooth; branches numerous, slender, 10–25 cm, ascending or spreading, fascicled or in whorls, loosely spiculate, scabrid; pedicels slender, scabrid. Spikelets 3.5–4 mm; glumes glabrous; lower glume ca. 3 mm, 3–5-veined, scabrid on veins; upper glume 5–7-veined, glabrous; lower floret staminate, equaling or shorter than lower glume; upper floret 2.2–2.3 mm, lemma apex narrowed into a poorly developed awn or awnless; awn soon deciduous, geniculate with short brown twisted column, up to 2.5 mm; callus hairs 2/5 length of lemma. Fl. and fr. Jul–Nov.
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