Perennial, shortly rhizomatous. Culms loosely tufted, 60–70 cm tall, 3–4-noded, lower internodes villous, especially below nodes. Leaf sheaths densely villous, usually longer than internodes; leaf blades broadly linear, flat, tough, 15–18 cm, 5–8 mm wide, abaxial surface asperulous, adaxial surface prominently ridged, hispid, apex subacute; ligule truncate, ca. 1 mm, back hairy, margin ciliate. Panicle loose, 20–30 cm, many spiculate; branches in whorls of up to 8, lower 8–10 cm, scabrid, with branchlets and spikelets throughout length. Spikelets 1.2–1.5 cm, green or tinged purplish, florets 3–5, spaced; rachilla filiform, hairs ca. 3.5 mm; glumes lightly keeled, keel scabrid, apex acuminate, lower glume ca. 5 mm, 1-veined, upper glume ca. 10 mm, 3-veined; lemmas papery with membranous apex, lowest ca. 10 mm, 5-veined, smooth, apex acuminate or splitting into 2 acuminate-mucronate teeth; awn ca. 1.5 cm, gently curved or almost straight, slightly twisted in lower half, terete; palea keels scabrid-ciliolate. Anthers 3.2–3.5 mm. Fl. and fr. summer to autumn.
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