Plant rhizomatous. Culms 30–100 cm tall, 3–4 mm in diam., 3–4-noded, nodes puberulous. Leaf sheaths slightly compressed, usually shorter than internodes, glabrous, ciliate at apex; leaf blades linear, flat, 10–40 × 0.2–0.8 cm, glabrous or pilose, narrowed to midrib toward base, apex acuminate; ligule 0.5–1.5 mm, ciliate, obtuse. Panicle 5–15 cm; axis glabrous. Racemes short, 2–6 cm, appressed. Spikelets lanceolate, 5–6 mm, awned; callus hairs 0.5–2 mm; glumes unequal; lowerglume ca. 5 mm, back scabrid, pilose, obscurely 2–3-veined between 2 keels, or veinless, keels hispidulous, upper margin pilose, apex 2-lobed or 2-toothed; upper glume ca. 6 mm, obscurely 3–5-veined or veinless, scabrid, margins pilose, apex acuminate; lower lemma linear-lanceolate, 4.5–6 mm, 3–5-veined, puberulous; upper lemma ca. 5 mm, 1–3-veined, margins pilose, apex acuminate, awned; awn ca. 2 mm, straight. Anthers 3, ca. 3 mm. Caryopsis oblong.