Culms erect or geniculate at base, slender, 25–45 cm tall, 2-noded, smooth. Leaf sheath shorter than internode, smooth; ligule very short; leaf blade flat or rolled, 3–6 × 0.15–0.3 cm, abaxial surface smooth, adaxial surface scabrous. Spike lax, curved, 3.5–7.5 cm. Spikelets 2 per node, or 1 per node distally in spike, subsessile or with pedicel ca. 1 mm, purplish, (7–)9–13 mm, with (1 or)2 or 3(or 4) florets, densely puberulent. Glumes oblong, subequal, 2–3 mm, 3-veined, scabrous along raised midvein, apex acute or acuminate. Lemma lanceolate, ± puberulent; first lemma 7–8 mm; awn less than 2 mm. Palea equaling lemma, ciliolate along keels, apex narrowly obtuse. Anthers ca. 1.7 mm. Fl. and fr. late summer. 2n = 42*.