Slender, tufted. Flowering culms (27–) 30–45 (–51) cm high, branched. Leaves basal; basal sheaths carinate, tight; orifice bearded, with stiff hairs 0.5–5 mm long; external ligule absent; blade flat, involute or convolute, 3–7.5 cm long, 0.5–1.5 mm wide. Inflorescence a single spike or digitate, with 2 spicate branches; spikelet-bearing axes 4–7 (–9) cm long, usually flexible. Glumes: lower glume 1.8–3.5 mm long, muticous or aristulate; upper glume 3.1–5.5 mm long, with awn usually less than 1 mm long. Callus 0.4–0.6 mm long. Basal lemma narrowly lanceolate to oblong, 4–5.2 mm long, acuminate, entire or minutely notched, cartilaginous, smooth on surface or scaberulous towards apex; awn slightly to much longer than lemma body, 5.9–9 mm long. Basal palea usually acuminate.