Forming dense, large mats or scattered clumps, 50-80 cm; rhizomes 2-3 mm diam., internodes covered by bracts; branching extravaginal. Leaf-sheath light cream to brown, glabrous. Ligule 1 mm, truncate, ciliolate. Leaf-blade 12-50 × 0.5-1.5 cm, linear from pseudopetiolate base, glabrous apart from hairs on margins near ligule; margins sparsely scabrid above, tip acute, pungent. Culm 50-80 cm, nodes and internodes glabrous. Panicle 10-20 × 2-4 cm, narrow-lanceolate, gradually narrowed upwards to an acute point, greyish white with soft, dull hairs, c. 6 mm, concealing spikelets; branches erect or the lower ± spreading, simple or branched again near base. Spikelets c. 3 mm, enveloped by hairs to 6 mm. Glumes = spikelet, purplish, with some scattered long hairs; lower 5-nerved, upper 3-nerved. Lemmas and palea < glumes, hyaline, nerveless, denticulate. Stamen 1; anther c. 2 mm. Stigmas purple. Caryopsis not seen.
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