Culms solitary or tufted, 30–50 cm tall, 2-or 3-noded, puberulent below spike. Leaf sheath glabrous; leaf blade rolled, 2–15(–18) × 0.2–0.5 cm, glabrous. Spike dense, 3–6 × 0.7–0.8 cm. Spikelets green or tinged purplish, 8–10 mm, with 3 or 4(–6) florets. Glumes green abaxially, lanceolate-ovate, 3–4 mm excluding awn, 1–3-veined, densely hirsute, margin membranous; midvein somewhat prominent; awn 2–3 mm. Lemma densely hirsute; first lemma ca. 6 mm; awn 4–6 mm, scabrous. Palea equaling lemma, ciliate along keels. Anthers yellowish black, 2–2.2 mm. Ovary apex puberulent. Fl. and fr. late summer. 2n = 42*.