Annual. Culms loosely tufted, slender, 30–60 cm tall. Leaf sheaths papillose-hispid; leaf blades linear-lanceolate, 3–8 × 0.2–0.6 cm, papillose-hispid on both surfaces, apex acute; ligule 0.5–2 mm. Inflorescence axis 2–5 cm; racemes 2–7, loosely ascending, 3–10 cm; spikelets mostly in lax pairs, distant, lower sometimes on short branchlets; rachis slender, triquetrous, narrowly winged, angles scabrous; pedicels of a pair very unequal, one flexuous, up to 8 mm, the other about as long as spikelet, tips discoid. Spikelets elliptic, 1.8–2 mm, hairs clavate; lower glume minute; upper glume as long as spikelet, 3-veined, intervein spaces and margins densely hairy; lower lemma similar to upper glume, 5–7-veined; upper lemma yellowish brown, finally chestnut brown, ca. 1.6 mm, apex apiculate. Fl. and fr. Aug–Oct.