Erect, caespitose, annual or perennial. Culms to 25–80 cm high, 2 or 3-noded; mid-culm node smooth to faintly scaberulous; internode smooth. Leaves: basal sheaths smooth to scaberulous; ligule 2–7 mm long, obtuse, entire, becoming laciniate with age; blade convolute to strongly involute, to 50 cm long, 1–8 mm wide. Panicles open, to 25 cm long, with base enclosed by upper sheath until late maturity; peduncle smooth; primary branches clustered on one side at each node. Spikelets many, 3.5–5.5 mm long; pedicel clavate, antrorsely scabrid; rachilla extension a plumose bristle, to 3.5 mm long. Glumes diverging, subequal, acuminate, with keel usually extending into a seta 0.6–0.8 mm long. Lemma 2.5–5.5 mm long, glabrous except for tuft of hair at callus, densely scaberulous in upper half, obscurely 5-nerved, with 2–4 terminal teeth or setae 0.3–1 mm long, awned; awn arising 25–50% of lemma length from base, 3.5–8 mm long, geniculate. Palea 2–4 mm long, bidentate. Stamens 3; anthers 0.4–1 (–1.2) mm long.
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