Culms densely tufted, erect or geniculate at base, 12–40 cm tall, glabrous or puberulent below spike. Leaf sheath glabrous, pubescent or densely so, or ciliate at margin; ligule short; leaf blade flat or involute, ca. 0.4 cm wide, abaxial surface glabrous or pubescent, adaxial surface softly hairy. Spike dense, 2.5–7 × 0.6–1 cm; rachis glabrous, puberulent, or densely villous; internodes 2–5 mm. Spikelets green or purplish green, 8–14 mm, with 3–6 florets, softly pale hairy. Glumes oblong-ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 4–7 mm, herbaceous, 3–5-veined, white hirsute or softly hairy, ciliate along veins, margin broadly membranous, apex acute or with awn 2–4 mm. Lemma ovate or broadly lanceolate, 6–8 mm, densely hirsute or softly long hairy; awn slightly curved, 8.5–13 mm. Palea lanceolate, subequaling lemma, ciliolate along keels distally, apex truncate or emarginate. Anthers yellow or purple, 2.5–4 mm. Fl. and fr. Jun–Sep.