Culms solitary or in small tufts, erect, 70–120 cm tall, 2–3 mm in diam., 5–6-noded, scabrid or puberulous below nodes. Leaf sheaths shorter than internodes, pubescent; leaf blades flat, thin, 15–30 × 0.6–2 cm, adaxial surface pubescent, abaxial surface scabrid, apex gradually long-acuminate; ligule ca. 1 mm. Panicle densely contracted, 12–20 × ca. 1 cm; primary branches solitary or paired at base, erect, each branch simple, bearing 2–7 spikelets. Spikelets obovoid at maturity, 4.5–7 mm, florets 2–3; glumes lanceolate, acute, lower glume 1.5–2 mm, 1-veined, upper glume 2–3 mm, 1–3-veined, the lateral veins obscure; lemmas 4.5–5 mm, 3–5-veined, veins scabrid near apex, apex subacute; palea keels ciliate. Caryopsis ca. 4 mm. Fl. and fr. Jun–Sep. 2n = 38.