Very tall, stout tussock with narrow, erect, sharp leaves, and narrow inflorescences. Leaf-sheath glabrous beneath white epicuticular wax. Ligule to 3.5 mm. Collar brown, abaxially glabrous, adaxially with ribs short stiff hairy. Leaf-blade to 2 m × 2.5 cm, stiff, abaxially very scabrid in upper ⅓, adaxially with thick weft of hairs at base becoming fewer up midrib, abundant minute prickle-teeth throughout; margins long (5 mm) hairy below becoming very scabrid. Culm to 2.5 m, internodes glabrous. Inflorescence to 1 m, plumose, stiff, erect to pennant-shaped and drooping; rachis glabrous, branches and pedicels scabrid, long hairs at axils and below spikelet. Spikelets to 25 mm, of 3 florets. Glumes equal, ≥ florets, transparent, acuminate, 1-nerved occasionally shortly 3-nerved; keel scabrid; sometimes long hairy on lower margin. Lemma to 10 mm, scabrid, long (7 mm) hairs radiating from base; lateral lobes to 3 mm; central awn to 15 mm from between lobes. Palea to 6 mm, attenuated, apex hair-tipped, keels ciliate, interkeel and flanks scabrid above. Rachilla to 1 mm, glabrous. Callus hairs to 2 mm. Lodicules to 0.7 mm, hair-fringed. Anthers of ☿ flowers to 4.5 mm, of ♀ flowers to 3 mm. Gynoecium: of ☿ flowers ovary to 1 mm, stigma-styles to 2.5 mm; of ♀ flowers ovary to 1.3 mm, stigma-styles to 4 mm. Caryopsis 3-4 mm; embryo to 1 mm; hilum to 2.0 mm. 2n= 90. Plate 8B.
While generally classed as a coastal plant, it will grow from sea level to an altitude of 600 metres or so, generally on the edges of swamps or streambanks.
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