Plants to c. 0.6 m tall, shortly rhizomatous, with shoots conspicuously extravaginal. Culm nodes 2 or 3, exserted, sericeous, thickened. Leaves: ligule 3–5 (–7) mm long (but much shorter in leaves of basal tuft), acute or laciniate, glabrous, papery; auricles glabrous; blade strongly rolled or folded, stiff, c. 1 mm wide, with abaxial surface smooth, scaberulous to glabrous. Inflorescence 6–14 cm long, contracted and spike-like, c. 1 cm wide (excluding awns), very dense; spikelets scarcely gaping. Glumes subequal, 11–15 mm long, acuminate and hyaline at tip. Callus 1.3–2 mm long, straight, with white hairs. Lemma 4–6 mm long, granular, brown, with white hairs to apex; lobes 2, to 0.2 mm long; coma absent; awn 35–50 mm long, scaberulous, with column 8–15 mm long and bristle straight or slightly curved. Palea subequal to lemma (to 0.3 mm shorter), acute. Lodicules 3, broadly spathulate.
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