Open coarsely hairy grass with long drooping inflorescences of many straight-awned spikelets; branching usually intravaginal but often extravaginal. Leaf-sheath to 10 cm, hirsute with erect or retrorse hairs 0.5-0.75 mm. Ligule 0.1 mm, truncate. Collar recurved, glabrous except for 1-2 very long hairs especially near auricles. Auricles 0.5-1 mm, clasping, glabrous. Leaf-blade 18 cm × 1-4 mm, everywhere coarsely hirsute, occasionally rough with prickle-teeth. Culm to 1.5 m, decumbent below, drooping above at maturity, internodes usually smooth but occasionally rough, irregularly hairy below lower nodes. Inflorescence 10-20 cm, up to 10 spikelets, convex surfaces fairly scabrid. Spikelets 40-55 mm, of 5-10 florets often purple flecked. Glumes unequal, 4-10 mm, 3-5-nerved, irregularly long triangular, centrally keeled, margins membranous, ciliate at apex, becoming awned and sometimes scabrid above. Lemma smooth below becoming prickle-toothed above, keeled above continuing into very scabrid straight awn 30-50 mm. Palea 9-11 mm, apex truncate to retuse. Rachilla 1.5-2.5 mm, hairs becoming long at apex. Callus 0.75 mm, surrounded by hairs > callus. Lodicules 1-1.25 mm. Anthers 1.8-2.3 mm, yellow or purple streaked. Gynoecium: ovary 1.25 mm; stigma-styles to 2.5 mm. Caryopsis 6-6.5 mm; embryo 1-1.2 mm.
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