Plants with short rhizomes. Culms erect, 30–50 cm tall, 1.5–2.5 mm in diam., 3-or 4-noded, glabrous. Leaf sheath glabrous; ligule ca. 1 mm, membranous, apex truncate; leaf blade involute, 4–14 × 0.2–0.3 cm, adaxial surface scabrous or pubescent. Spike slightly nodding, lax, 10–16 cm; rachis flexuose, margin spinose; internodes 12–16 mm. Spikelets 1 per node, 15–20 mm excluding awns, with 6 or 7 florets; rachilla usually puberulent. Glumes oblong-lanceolate, proximal one 5–6 mm, distal one 7–8 mm, 5–7-veined, glabrous, apex acute or pungent. Lemma lanceolate, abaxially laxly spinulose; first lemma 9–10 mm; awn curved, 20–25 mm, scabrous. Palea slightly shorter than or equaling lemma, spinose along keels, glabrous between keels, apex truncate. Anthers yellow, 1.5–2 mm. Fl. and fr. Jul–Aug.