Perennial, rhizomatous, up to 1.2 m high. Leaf blades 70-150 mm long, 4-7 mm wide. Spikelets 35-55 mm long, 5-10 mm wide. Panicle open, pedicels sparsely villous to echinate; spikelets glabrous or finely scabrid; lower glume 3-nerved, upper 5-7-nerved; lemmas 15-18 mm long, awns 6-15 mm long.