Plants with short, underground rhizomes. Culms solitary or tufted, 80–100 cm tall, stiff, 5-or 6-noded. Leaf blade 20–30 × ca. 1 cm, subleathery, both surfaces smooth or adaxial surface scabrous. Spike erect, slender, lax, 20–25 cm; rachis scabrous. Spikelets 1 per node, 20–30 mm, with ca. 12 florets. Glumes oblong-lanceolate, 10–15 mm, 5–7-veined, smooth or scabrous, margin ± membranous. Lemma white pilose, apex pointed; first lemma ca. 15 mm including apical point ca. 1 mm. Palea 2/3–3/4 as long as lemma, subsmooth along keels, apex truncate or subrounded. Fl. and fr. Jul–Aug. 2n = 28*.