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Spikelets 5–12(15) × 2–3 mm, narrowly oblong, laterally compressed, 12–20-flowered, the lemmas disarticulating from below upwards, the rhachilla persistent; glumes subequal, 1.3–1.9 mm long, reaching to between 2/3 and 4/5 the way along the adjacent lemmas, keeled, narrowly oblong-lanceolate in profile, gland-dotted on the keel, acute at the apex; lemmas 1.4–1.8 mm long, keeled, elliptic in profile, membranous with raised prominent lateral nerves, diverging from the rhachilla at c. 45°, those in opposite rows not imbricate, the rhachilla visible between them, often tinged with purple, gland-dotted on the keel, scaberulous on the back above, obtuse at the apex with the nerves excurrent as short mucros; palea persistent, glabrous on the flanks, the keels slender, wingless, scabrid; anthers 3, 0.5–0.6 mm long.
Perennial, occasionally a hydrophyte and stoloniferous, densely tufted, up to 0.6 m high. Leaf blades up to 100 mm long, 2.5 mm wide. Spikelets 4.5-8.0(-15.0) mm long, 2-3 mm wide. Inflorescence narrow, unbranched or only sparsely branched, spikelets appressed to main axis or branches, pedicels short and stout. Spikelets light green to straw-coloured or purple or at least flushed with purple. Rachilla persistent. Lemmas and/or paleas breaking up from base upwards; lemma usually truncate to concave between keel and lateral nerves, which are raised and excurrent into minute mucros and have small glandular pits. Palea moderately wide between margins and keels, margins not touching, keels entire, flattened, equally broad for entire length. Anthers 3, 0.4-0.6 mm long. Caryopsis subglobose.
Densely caespitose perennial without stolons but sometimes with short oblique rhizome; culms up to 60 cm tall, erect or ascending, unbranched or rarely branched, glabrous at the nodes, eglandular; basal leaf sheaths glabrous, chartaceous, compressed and keeled, gland-dotted on the nerves, persistent; ligule a line of hairs; leaf laminas 3.5–8(10) cm × 1.5–2 mm, narrowly linear, involute or rarely flat, villous above, gland-dotted on the midnerve beneath.
Panicle 4–10(12) cm long, oblong to narrowly elliptic, gland-dotted on the axis, branches and pedicels, the spikelets condensed about the branches and branchlets on pedicels up to 0.7 mm long, the primary branches not in whorls, terminating in a fertile spikelet, glabrous in the axils.
Caryopsis 0.4–0.5 mm long, subrotund.
