Plants tufted. Culms slender, basal internodes swollen, 40–60 cm tall. Leaf sheaths glabrous; leaf blades flat, 4–15 cm × 1–3 mm, glabrous or adaxial surface pubescent, transverse veinlets present; ligule 0.5–1.5 mm. Panicle racemelike, 5–6 cm, erect; spikelets 3–4; pedicels 0.4–1.5 cm, scabrid. Spikelets ca. 7 mm, glumes purplish red, florets green, fertile florets 2, terminal sterile lemmas gathered into clavate cluster; glumes unequal, lanceolate, lower glume 4.5–5.5 mm, upper glume 6.5–7.5 mm, 5-veined, acute; lemmas ovate-lanceolate, lowest ca. 6.5 mm, 7-veined; palea keels ciliolate. Fr. Jul.
Home