Culms laxly tufted, 80–150 cm tall, smooth. Leaf sheath glabrous; leaf blade green or glaucous green, broadly linear, flat, 12–20 × 0.5–1.1 cm, thin, glabrous or adaxial surface scabrous to scattered pilose. Spike nodding, somewhat dense, 10–20 cm. Spikelets 1 per node, green, rarely greenish purple, 10–15 mm excluding awns, with 2–5 florets. Glumes lanceolate, abruptly narrowed distally, 3–5-veined with broad secondary veins, scabrous, margin scarious; proximal glume 0.6–1 cm, awn ca. 2 mm; distal glume 0.7–1.1 cm, awn 2–4 mm. Lemma smooth, 0.9–1.1 cm; awn divergent, 1.5–1.8 cm. Palea apex truncate. Anthers 2.5–2.8 cm. Fl. and fr. Jun–Aug. 2n = 28.