Hyparrhenia rufa var. rufa (Nees) Stapf

Perennial or sometimes annual 300-2 500 mm high; rhizomatous. Leaf blade 300-600 x 2-8 mm. Inflorescence lax or contracted; spatheole linear, 40-50 mm long; raceme bases terete, unequal; raceme pairs with 7-14 awns. Sessile spikelet 3.5-4.5 mm long, yellowish to reddish-brown, often violet-tinged, usually glossy; glabrous or sparsely hairy, hairs reddish-brown; awn 20-30 mm long; callus rounded or wedge-shaped, 0.2-0.8 mm long. Pedicellate spikelet, 3-5 mm long, hairs reddish-brown, acute or rarely with a mucro up to 0.3 mm long; anther 1.3-2.2 mm long.