Culms 60–80 cm tall, 2-or 3-noded. Leaf sheath smooth, glabrous, but retrorsely pubescent at base; ligule ca. 0.3 mm; leaf blade flat, 5–30 × 0.3–0.5 cm, abaxial surface smooth, glabrous, adaxial surface long pilose, margin ciliate. Spike erect, dense, 7–10 cm; rachis subglabrous, margin ciliate; internodes 4–7 mm. Spikelets 1 per node, 13–15(–18) mm, with 4 or 5(or 6) florets. Glumes lanceolate, 3–5-veined, hispidulous along veins, margin membranous, apex acuminate or with awn ca. 2 mm; proximal glume 9–10 mm including awn; distal glume 10–12 mm including awn. Lemma lanceolate, hispidulous distally and near margin; first lemma 10–12 mm; awn recurved, 20–35 mm, scabrous. Palea equaling lemma, ciliate along keels. Anthers yellow, 1.5–2 mm. Fl. and fr. Jul–Sep.