Perennial, rhizomatous. Culms tussocky, 40–70 cm tall, ca. 1.5 mm in diam. Leaf sheaths glabrous or lower pubescent; leaf blades usually convolute, 2–10(–15) cm × 0.2–4 mm, both surfaces pubescent or abaxial surface glabrous, subacute; ligule 1–4 mm. Panicle 7–11 cm, lax, sometimes reduced to a few-spiculate raceme; branches mostly unbranched, flexuous, scabrid, lower often binate, each bearing 1 spikelet or a close pair, lateral spikelet on ca. 1 mm pedicel, slightly narrower than terminal spikelet. Spikelets oblong to wedge-shaped, 1.3–2.5 cm, purple and golden brown, florets 2–8; rachilla scabrid or smooth; glumes variable, apex obtuse with ciliolate margin, lower glume oblong to oblanceolate, 2.5–9 mm, upper glume broadly oblong to oblanceolate, 5–11 mm; lemmas elliptic-oblong, lowest 1.2–1.5 cm, papery becoming membranous toward apex, veins scaberulous, back scaberulous-puberulous especially lower flanks, apex rounded, minutely ciliolate; palea 1/2–2/3 lemma length, keels scabrid-ciliolate. Anthers 4–5 mm. Fl. and fr. Jul–Aug.
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