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Tufted perennial to 1000 mm high; sometimes rhizomatous. Leaf blade to 300 x 2-10 mm; ligule a fringe of hairs. Inflorescence ovate, consisting of many whorled racemes on a central axis; internodes filiform. Sessile spikelet 5-8 mm long, laterally compressed; lower glume keel rounded, apex hispidulous, awnless; upper glume glabrous or with a few white hairs on the keel, sometimes apex shortly pilose; awn 6-12 mm long, glabrous; lower lemma awnless; upper lemma minutely bidentate, awned from between lobes; awn 20-30 mm long, geniculate, slightly hairy; anther 3.6-4.0 mm long. Pedicellate spikelet 5-8 mm long, dorsally compressed; lower glume with short white hairs on the back, awn up to 5 mm long, hispidulous; upper glume glabrous, awn up to 2.5 mm long, obscurely hispidulous; upper lemma sparsely ciliolate on margins.
Sessile spikelet c. 6 mm long, narrowly oblong; inferior glume awnless, slightly hispid at the apex; superior glume with a few white hairs on the back and with a glabrous awn c. 12 mm long; inferior lemma hyaline, 1-nerved and with sparsely ciliolate margins; superior floret bisexual, its lemma hyaline, bilobed and with a slightly puberulous awn c. 2.5 cm long; anthers c. 3 mm long.
Pedicelled spikelet male or neuter, with awned glumes; inferior glume c. 6 mm long, with short white hairs on the back and with a hispidulous awn c. 5 mm long; superior glume c. 6.5 mm long, glabrous, with an obscurely hispidulous awn c. 2.5 mm long; superior lemma hyaline, sparsely ciliolate on the margins; anthers c. 3 mm long.
Perennial, sometimes rhizomatous and tufted, up to 1 m high. Leaf blades up to 300 mm long, 2-10 mm wide. Spikelets (sessile and pedicellate) 5-8 mm long (but sessile laterally compressed, pedicellate dorsally compressed). Inflorescence branches long, whorled, bare below, terminated by a triad of spikelets.
Culms up to 150 cm high, sometimes robust; leaf-sheaths glabrous, rarely pilose above; ligule a ciliolate rim; leaf laminas 2–10 mm wide, linear-lanceolate, glabrous except near the ligule where there are sparse tubercle-based hairs on the margins.
Panicle up to 15 cm long; peduncles fulvously bearded at the apex.
