Densely tufted perennial forming large tussocks; culms 40–60 cm. high.. Leaf-blades acicular, 10–30 cm. long and ± 0.75 mm. in diameter, stiffly erect or curly, harshly scabrid, unmarked by longitudinal striations on the outer surface.. Panicle linear, 8–20 cm. long, the short branches usually closely appressed to the axis, rarely ascending.. Spikelets 3–5-flowered, oblong-elliptic, 8–10 mm. long, usually dark purple; lower glume subulate to narrowly lanceolate, 3–6 mm. long, 1-nerved; upper glume lanceolate, 4–6.5 mm. long, 3-nerved; lemmas indurated, minutely scaberulous, the lower 5.5–7.5 mm. long, with a short awn 1–3 mm. long from the entire or obscurely bilobed tip; palea as long as the lemma, the keels scaberulous; ovary glabrous or sparsely hairy on top.
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