Culms laxly tufted, erect or slightly geniculate at base, 20–30 cm tall, 1.5–2.5 mm in diam., 3-or 4-noded. Leaf sheath glabrous; ligule very short, papery, apex truncate; leaf blade flat, 5–10 × 0.25–0.5 cm, both surfaces glabrous or adaxial surface sparsely villous, margin ciliate. Spike erect, 5–10 × 0.3–0.5 cm; rachis scabrous on back, margin spinose; internodes 6–9 mm. Spikelets green, 10–16 mm excluding awns, with 3–5 florets; rachilla puberulent. Glumes broadly lanceolate or oblong, 3–5-veined, glabrous, margin broadly membranous, apex acute or pungent; proximal glume 5.5–7.5 mm; distal glume 7–8.5 mm. Lemma lanceolate, abaxially densely pubescent; first lemma 8–9 mm; awn straight, 2–7 mm. Palea subequaling lemma, spinose along keels distally, glabrous between keels. Anthers yellow, ca. 3 mm. Fl. and fr. Jun–Jul.