Plant loosely tufted or shortly rhizomatous; shoots extravaginal. Culms 70–100 cm tall; nodes 3–4. Leaf sheaths glabrous; auricles absent; leaf blades flat, 10–20 cm × 4–9 mm wide, glabrous, margins scabrid; ligule 1.5–3.5 mm. Panicle loose, open, 20–26 cm; branches ca. 15 cm, inserted singly, scabrid, with branchlets and spikelets to base. Spikelets 8–9 mm; florets 4–6; lower glume lanceolate, 2.5–3.2 mm; upper glume broadly lanceolate, 4–5 mm; lemmas lanceolate-elliptic, 7.5–8.2 mm, smooth, apex distinctly notched, awns 8–13 mm; palea keels scaberulous. Anthers 1.7–2 mm. Ovary apex densely hairy.