Culms erect, 40–65 cm tall, 1–2 mm in diam., usually 3-noded, scabrous. Leaf sheath usually glabrous but retrorsely villous on basal leaves; ligule very short, apex truncate; leaf blade involute, 4–10 × 0.2–0.3 cm, both surfaces glabrous or adaxial surface sparsely villous. Spike erect or slightly curved, 9–12 cm; rachis glabrous, but margin spinose; internodes 7–12 mm. Spikelets purplish, narrow, 13–19 mm excluding awns, with 5–7 florets; rachilla puberulent. Glumes lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, subequal, 5–6 mm, 3–5-veined, scabrous along veins, margin narrowly membranous. Lemma lanceolate, abaxially glabrous but scabrous distally and at margin; first lemma 9–10 mm; callus pubescent; awn straight, 5–10 mm. Palea slightly longer than lemma, ciliate along keels distally, scabrous between keels, apex truncate or obtuse. Anthers black, 2.3–3.2 mm. Fl. and fr. Aug.