Perennial, tufted from a short rhizome with scaly buds. Culms erect or base geniculate, hard, (35–)60–180 cm tall, 1.5–4 mm in diam., sometimes branched, 3–7(–9)-noded, nodes glabrous. Leaf sheaths shorter than internodes, glabrous or infrequently tuberculate-hispid; leaf blades linear, 10–40(–70) cm × 3–9 mm, usually glabrous, sometimes tuberculate-hispid; ligule ca. 0.5 mm. Panicle open or somewhat contracted, 10–45 cm; central axis and branches scabrid; branches 5–20 cm, stiffly ascending or spreading, solitary or fasciculate, loosely spiculate; pedicels scabrid, apex usually with long stiff hairs. Spikelets 5–6.5 mm, green tinged purple; glumes glabrous or rarely setose, scaberulous along veins; lower glume 4.5–5.5 mm, 3 (–5)-veined; upper glume 5-veined; lower floret staminate or barren, shorter than glumes or equaling lower glume; upper floret 2.5–3 mm, lemma apex awned, awn flanked by 2 slender erect bristles; bristles mostly 1–2.5 mm; awn geniculate with brown twisted column, 6–10 mm; callus hairs 1/4–1/3 length of lemma. Fl. and fr. Aug–Dec.
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