Erect, caespitose perennial. Culms 50–100 cm tall, 4 or 5-noded; nodes often enclosed by leaf sheath, glabrous. Leaves: basal sheaths glabrous; upper sheaths smooth or retrorsely scaberulous; ligules 5–10 mm long, acute becoming lacerate; blade flat, (5–) 15–25 cm long, (2–) 3–5 mm wide. Panicles open, 15–35 cm long, exserted, always green; peduncle smooth; primary branches whorled, erect and rather stiff, spreading to divaricate at late maturity; ultimate branches sometimes slightly drooping. Spikelets many, (2.3–) 2.5– 3 (–3.5) mm long; pedicels scabrous; rachilla extension plumose, 0.8–1.8 mm long including hairs. Glumes not widely diverging, subequal or lower one slightly longer. Lemma 1.3–1.8 mm long, hairy, 5-nerved, 4-toothed, awned; awn arising 50–75% of lemma length from base, 3.5–6 (–6.2) mm long (often reduced or absent in terminal florets), strongly geniculate, with column less than 0.5 mm wide. Palea slightly shorter than lemma, entire. Stamens 3; anthers 0.5–0.6 (–0.7) mm long.
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