Perennial, with short rhizomes. Culms 60–120 cm tall, 6-or 7-noded, nodes pubescent. Leaf sheaths densely retrorsely pubescent; leaf blades 20–40 cm × 4–8 mm, adaxial surface pubescent; ligule 1–2 mm. Panicle large, lax, 20–30 cm; branches 2–6 per node, long, slender, scabrid, nodding when mature, spikelets few. Spikelets (15–)20–25(–40) × 3–4 mm, florets 5–10; rachilla internodes 3–4 mm, clearly laterally visible; glumes narrowly lanceolate, lower glume 5–7 mm, 1-veined, upper glume 8–12 mm, 3-veined, apex acuminate to mucronate; lemmas narrowly lanceolate, 10–12(–15) × ca. 1.2 mm in side view, 7-veined, glabrous, margins membranous, apex acuminate; awn 5–10 mm; palea narrow, shorter than lemma, keels thinly ciliate. Anthers 2–3 mm. Caryopsis 8–10 mm. Fl. and fr. Jun–Jul. 2n = 14.