Plants to c. 0.5 m tall. Culms pubescent around nodes. Leaves: ligule 2.5–6 mm long, obtuse, glabrous or pubescent on sides; auricles absent; blade expanded or loosely rolled, 0.3–1.2 mm wide, ciliate, strongly ribbed, pubescent. Inflorescence pyramidal, 15–20 cm long, with whorls of moderately long, few-flowered, compound branches spreading widely at maturity; branch hairs c. 0.5 mm long; spikelets gaping only at maturity. Glumes unequal, 6–7.5 mm long, acute to acuminate, scabrous. Callus 0.2–0.3 mm long, almost straight, with white hairs. Lemma 4–5 mm long, tuberculate, dark brown at maturity, glabrous; coma obscure, 0.1–0.25 mm long; lobes absent; awn 30–35 mm long, straight or once-geniculate. Palea 20–35% of length of lemma.
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