Often robust, wide-leaved, perennial tufts, (5)-30-90 cm, with dull green somewhat harsh leaves drying dark green, and large, firm, pale green, many-flowered panicles; branching intravaginal. Leaf-sheath similar in texture to blade, firm, striate, smooth, or finely scabrid above, green to light brown. Ligule 1.3-6 mm, tapered, rounded, becoming denticulate, abaxially finely scabrid. Leaf-blade (2)-6-28 cm × (0.5)-2-6.5-(10) mm, abaxially with numerous fine, finely scabrid ribs, midrib prominent near base, adaxially finely ribbed and finely scabrid on ribs; margins finely scabrid, tip subobtuse. Culm 20-40-(66) cm, erect. Panicle (2)-12-28 × (1)-6-20 cm, at first stiff and contracted with erect branches, at maturity more lax and ovate-elliptic; rachis smooth below, scabrid above, primary branches sparsely scabrid, filiform, very long, erect, secondary branchlets much shorter, very numerous, capillary, scaberulous, tipped by several clustered spikelets. Spikelets (3)-3.5-5.5-(6) mm, light green. Glumes ± equal, smooth and membranous, rarely sparsely scabrid in upper half, acute to acuminate; lower elliptic-lanceolate, scabrid on upper ⅔ of keel, upper linear-lanceolate, scabrid on upper ½ of keel. Lemma < ⅔ length of glumes, elliptic-oblong, truncate, lateral nerves shortly excurrent. Palea elliptic-oblong, nerves c. 0.2 mm apart, apex shallowly bifid. Lodicules c. 0.5 mm, lanceolate, acute. Caryopsis 1.3-1.8 × 0.4-0.6 mm. Fig. 9.
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