Slender annual plants 27–50 cm high. Culms fastigiately branched from upper nodes, mostly glabrous or lower internodes pilose with tubercle-based prickles; nodes glabrous. Leaves hispid with tubercle-based hairs, scabrous; sheaths longer than lower culm internodes, shorter than upper culm internodes; blade 1.5–2.5 cm long, 1.5–3 mm wide, sparsely hispid on upper surface or glabrous. Inflorescence a simple panicle or a raceme, open, 2.5–4.5 cm long, 1–2 cm wide. Glumes obliquely attached (distant by c. 0.5 mm), 3–4.5 mm long, muticous, strongly 5–7-nerved, smooth, glabrous. Florets exceeding glumes by c. 1 mm. Lemma 3–5.5 mm long, acuminate, muticous or cuspidate, thinly membranous or scarious, with 5–7 ribbed nerves without grooves, with sparse pubescence in lower half, glabrous and smooth above. Palea entire or notched, muticous, pubescent on lower half or entire body, with ciliolate keels. Caryopsis 2–2.8 mm long.
Occurs in skeletal, stony soil and shallow pocketson shale, sandstone, granite and basalt.
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