Perennial. Culms densely tufted, erect, 1–1.5 m tall, 2–7 mm in diam., nodes glabrous. Leaf sheaths glabrous; leaf blades narrowly linear, 20–40 × 0.2–0.3(–0.6) cm, adaxial surface scabrid, abaxial surface scabrid, puberulous at narrow base; ligule 1–2 mm. Spathate compound panicle 20–50 cm, simple or with second tier of branching; spatheoles 2–5 cm; racemes 2–3 cm, base swollen. Sessile spikelet elliptic, ca. 6 × 1.3 mm; lower glume concave along midline, keels winged above middle, wings 0.2–0.5 mm wide, margins scabrid, 2–4-veined between keels; upper lemma awned; awn ca. 1.5 cm. Pedicelled spikelet ca. 0.6 cm. Fl. and fr. Jul–Oct.