Plants with long rhizomes. Culms laxly tufted, 50–80 cm tall, 3–5-noded, glabrous. Leaf sheath glabrous; ligule very short; leaf blade flat or margin rolled, abaxial surface glabrous, adaxial surface and margin scabrous. Spike lax, slender, 8–13 cm; rachis margin scabrous or ciliate; internodes 8–12 mm. Spikelets usually 1 per node, with 2 or 3 florets. Glumes lanceolate, equal, 9–11 mm, 3-veined, smooth, glabrous, margin membranous, ciliate, apex acuminate. Lemma oblong-lanceolate, 5-veined, smooth, glabrous; first lemma 12–14 mm, awnless. Palea much shorter than lemma, puberulent, ciliate along keels, apex emarginate. Fl. summer.