Slender densely leafy tufts (2.5)-4-20-(25) cm, with stiff panicles often scarcely overtopping leaves; drying dull greenish brown. Leaf-sheaths submembranous, rounded, glabrous, light to dark brown, ribs few, ± prominent. Ligule 1.5-2 mm, glabrous, long tapered to acuminate tip. Leaf-blade (2)-3-7-(9) cm × 0.3-0.6 mm diam., involute, strict, glabrous, ribs few; tip hooded, very minutely sparsely prickle-toothed. Culm ± erect, often hidden by leaf-sheaths, internodes glabrous. Panicle 1.5-6 cm, erect, open, often deltoid; rachis glabrous, branches ascending to spreading, glabrous or sparsely minutely prickle-toothed, tipped by 1-2 spikelets. Spikelets 3.5-4.5 mm, light green, not very shining, becoming dull brown. Glumes subequal or unequal, < spikelet, ± keeled, minutely prickle-toothed on midnerve and margins near tip; lower 2-3.3-(4) mm, (1)-3-nerved, narrow-to oblong-lanceolate, acute to acuminate, upper 2.5-4-(4.5) mm, elliptic-lanceolate, 3-nerved, obtuse. Lemma 2-3 mm, ovate-oblong, ± firmly membranous, apex irregularly 4-toothed; awn subapical, 0.2-1-(1.5) mm. Palea ≤ lemma, apex shortly bifid, keels minutely scaberulous. Callus hairs 0.6-1.3 mm, dense. Rachilla hairs 0.6-1 mm, ± dense. Lodicules 0.3 mm. Anthers 0.4-0.8 mm. Gynoecium: ovary 0.7-0.8 mm; stigma-styles 1.0-1.2 mm. Caryopsis c. 1 × 0.4 mm.
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Plants densely caespitose. Culms to c. 5 cm high or possibly taller (to 15 cm or more). Leaf blades involute, to 1.5 (–4) cm long, c. 0.5 mm wide. Panicles 0.8–1.6 cm or more long (to 5 cm long in N.Z. specimens), with 1 spikelet per typical ultimate branch. Spikelets usually (2.5–) 3–4 mm long, with 2 (or 3) bisexual florets. Glumes slightly shorter than florets; lower glume 2–3.3 mm long, (1 or) 3-nerved; upper glume 2.5–3.3 mm long, 3-nerved. Callus hairs to c. 0.75 (–1) mm long. Bisexual florets: lemma ovate-oblong, c. (1.5–) 2 (–2.3) mm long, obtuse to truncate, irregularly 4-toothed or erose to jagged at apex, hyaline, 5-nerved, glabrous; lemma awn shorter than lemma body, to c. 0.7 mm long, subapical (or terminal and appearing as extension of midnerve when lemma apex eroded).