Culms slender, ca. 100 cm tall, ca. 5-noded. Leaf blade glaucous green, flat, 10–20 × 0.4–0.5 cm, thick, abaxial surface glabrous, or puberulent along veins, adaxial surface pubescent. Spike ± curved, 12–20 cm. Spikelets 1 per node, 12–17 mm excluding awns, with 3–6 florets. Glumes narrowly lanceolate, usually asymmetric, smooth, or scabrous along veins, margin membranous, apex acuminate; proximal glume 5–8 mm; distal glume 6–10 mm. Lemma glabrous, scabrous, or hirsutulous; first lemma 9–11 mm; awn erect, slender, 15–25 mm, scabrous. Palea equaling or slightly longer than lemma, abaxially puberulent, ciliate throughout length of keels, apex narrowed, obtuse, usually slightly 2-lobed. Fl. and fr. Jun–Jul.