Culms 55–150 cm high, densely tufted, simple; nodes glabrous. Leaves: ligule 1–2 mm long; blade 10–50 cm long, 2–10 mm wide. Inflorescences subdigitate, with axis 5–10 mm long; racemes 3–6, 5–12 cm long (excluding awns), without involucre of basal spikelets; raceme internodes 2.5–3 mm long, with ciliate margins, longer than pedicels (pedicels c. 1.5 mm long), numerous spikelet pairs per raceme, up to c. 40. Spikelet pairs of one sessile spikelet and one pedicellate spikelet, the pedicellate spikelet often obscured by the lower glume of the sessile spikelet except for the developed awn. Sessile spikelets oblong to obovate-oblong; lower glume as per spikelet shape, rounded to convex (almost appearing inflated) on back, 3–4.5 mm long, 1.2–3 mm wide, obliquely truncate, 7-veined, pilose on margins, stiffly coriaceous becoming indurated; upper glume ovate-lanceolate, 5–6.5 mm long, 3-veined, rounded or truncate, however margins incurved making apex appear finely tapered, pilose on margins and apex, chartaceous; florets 2, male; lower lemma lanceolate, 3.5–5.2 mm long; lower palea 4–5.5 mm long; upper lemma narrowly linear to narrowly lanceolate, 2.5–5 mm long, sometimes tapered into a mucro to 1 mm long (to 3 mm cited in Chaianan 1972); upper palea 3.5–5 mm long. Pedicellate spikelets narrowly lanceolate; lower glume as per spikelet shape, rounded on back, 3–3.6 mm long, 1–1.2 mm wide, apex narrowly truncate or rounded with margins incurved making apex appear finely tapered, 3-veined, pilose on margins and apex, coriaceous; upper glume narrowly lanceolate appearing linear, subequal to lower, apex narrowly rounded or truncate, margins incurved to make apex appear finely tapered, 1–3-veined, glabrous, coriaceous; floret bisexual; sometimes a lower floret present as sterile lemma only, c. 3 mm long; lemma of bisexual floret ovate, lemma a strap-like column, c. 2 mm long, with awn to 25 mm long; upper palea c. 2 mm long; base of pedicellate spikelet forming a bearded callus at maturity, c. 5 mm long, with long hairs.
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