Plants ± with rhizome, or if without rhizome then culms tufted. Culms erect, 60–120 cm tall. Leaf blade flat, 10–20 × 0.4–0.7 cm, glabrous. Spike usually dense, 6–20 × 0.4–0.7 cm; rachis margin ciliate; internodes 9–15 mm. Spikelets 1 per node, green, purple, glaucous, or purplish glaucous, 10–20 mm, with 2–5 florets; very shortly pedicellate. Glumes lanceolate or broadly so, 7–13 × 1.5–2 mm, 5-veined, scabrous or hispid, margin sometimes broadly membranous, apex acuminate to awned; awn (when present) 1–2 mm. Lemma narrowly elliptic, 8–9 mm, scabrous, ± pilose, or pubescent throughout; awn 1–7 mm. Palea equaling or subequaling lemma, margin ciliate, apex emarginate, truncate, or obtuse. Anthers 2–3 mm. Fl. and fr. Jun–Sep. 2n = 28*.