Stems obtusely trigonous to subterete, striate, smooth, leafy, 120-150 cm by 4-6 mm, the base densely clothed with the brown fibrous remains of decayed leaf-sheaths. Basal leaves long, gradually narrowed into a long triquetrous point, sharply keeled, up to 8 mm wide, with revolute margins; margins and keel serrulate-scabrous; cauline leaves 3, narrower; sheaths 4-5 cm long, brown or fuscescent, the emarginature at the orifice semicircular, the margins not overlapping. Panicle 35-60 cm long, narrow, loose to rather dense, compound; branches in fascicles of 1-3, erect, slender, compressed-trigonous to ancipitous, smooth; branchlets filiform. Spikelets numerous, mostly solitary, peduncled, oblong-lanceolate, acute, 2-flowered, 6-7 by c. 1½ mm. Uppermost internode of the rachilla slightly elongated, bearing a sterile glume. Glumes 9-10, the lower ones ovate-lanceolate, the upper lanceolate, c. 5 mm, reddish brown, with acute scaberulous keel, minutely pubescent in the upper part, the lower 5-6 empty, shortly awned. Upper flower bisexual, the lower one male with abortive gynaeceum, or male, sometimes both flowers bisexual. Hypogynous bristles 6, twice as long as the nut, c. 5 mm, flexuous, attenuate towards the apex, densely plumose up to the top. Stamens 3; anthers linear, with a moderately long, smooth or slightly antrorsely scabrous appendage of the connective. Style-base long-conical, pale, hispidulous, persistent. Nut surrounded by the persistent bristles, obovate-elliptic, trigonous, ferrugineous, c. 2 mm long (immature).
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