Plant densely tufted; shoots intravaginal. Culms (7–)15–35 cm tall, nodes 1–2. Leaf sheaths pubescent; auricles present as erect swellings; leaf blades conduplicate, 2.5–11 cm × 0.35–0.45 mm, abaxial surface scabrid, veins 5(–7); adaxial to abaxial sclerenchyma strands absent, abaxial sclerenchyma in narrow discrete strands; ligule 0.3–0.5 mm, margin ciliolate. Panicle contracted, (1.5–)2.5–6 cm; branches 1.5–2.5 cm, 1 at lowest node. Spikelets 5–5.5 mm, greenish or purplish; florets 4–5; glumes glabrous; lower glume narrowly lanceolate, 2–2.5 mm; upper glume narrowly lanceolate, 3.8–4.2 mm; rachilla internodes 0.7–0.9 mm; lemmas 3.2–3.8 mm, scabrid; awns (0.6–)0.8–1.8 mm; palea keels scaberulous. Anthers 1.1–1.5 mm. Ovary apex glabrous.