Plants to c. 0.9 m tall. Leaves: ligule 0.5–1.5 mm long, truncate, glabrous to pubescent, coriaceous; auricles densely to sparsely ciliate or glabrous; blade mostly rolled, 1.5–4 mm wide, with adaxial surface ribbed, pubescent or hirsute to almost glabrous. Inflorescence 15–30 cm long, open at maturity; spikelets slightly gaping. Glumes unequal, 15–25 mm long, acuminate. Callus 2–4 mm long, straight or slightly curved when short, sericeous. Lemma turbinate to cylindrical, 6–9.5 mm long, smooth, dark brown, mostly sericeous with hairs golden at maturity but the upper 0.5–1.5 mm scabrous with much shorter (otherwise similar) hairs; coma 0.4–0.7 mm long, of stiff, sparse hairs; lobes 0.2–0.75 mm long; awn sturdy, 50–110 mm long, with column 15–38 mm long and pubescent, and bristle scaberulous or pubescent. Palea slightly shorter to slightly longer than lemma. Lodicules 3.