Culms erect, 30–50 cm tall, 1.5–2 mm in diam., ca. 3-noded. Leaf sheath usually fibrous at base, margin ciliate; ligule 1.2–2 mm, membranous; leaf blade conduplicate or involute at margin, 7–16 × 2.5–4 cm, both surfaces scabrous. Spike erect, green, dense, 7–10 × 0.6–0.9 cm; rachis puberulent. Spikelets 2 or 3 per node, 0.8–1.1 cm, with 3 or 4 florets; rachilla densely puberulent. Glumes oblong-lanceolate, subequal, 3.5–4.5 × ca. 2 mm, 1-veined, margin membranous, apex with awn 4–5 mm. Lemma lanceolate, 5-veined, abaxially glabrous, margin laxly pubescent; first lemma 6–7 mm, apex with point ca. 1 mm. Palea equaling lemma, with lax, short, stiff hairs along keels, apex emarginate. Anthers yellow, ca. 4 mm. Fl. and fr. summer.