Culms ca. 2 m, ca. 1 cm in diam.; internodes sometimes becoming purplish in age, initially with a white powdery ring below node, apically retrorsely white pubescent; nodes elevated, supra-nodal ridge more prominent than sheath scar; intranode ca. 5 mm. Culm sheaths tardily deciduous or nearly persistent, purple-green, strigose or with papillae from fallen hairs between veins, base thickened and densely setulose, margins ciliate; auricles and oral setae absent; ligule truncate or arcuate, usually ca. 2 mm, puberulent, ciliate; blade deciduous, erect to reflexed, usually linear-lanceolate to linear. Leaves 3–5 or rarely more per ultimate branch; sheath glabrous or ciliate along distal margins; auricles absent; oral setae absent or several, erect; ligule truncate or arcuate, to 1 mm, hirtellous, ± ciliolate; blade oblong-lanceolate, ca. 20 × 2 cm, both surfaces glabrous, abaxially scabrid. Racemes with 3–5 spikelets; pedicels slender, setulose along angles, subtended by a small, subulate bract. Spikelets 4–6 cm; florets many; rachilla internodes ca. 1/2 as long as lemma, abaxially densely antrorsely pubescent, apex ciliate. Glumes and sterile lemmas 3 or 4 or more, distinctly smaller than fertile lemma, 1st small, others gradually larger; lemma to 1.4 cm, many veined, abaxially scabrid, margins distally ciliate, apex mucronate; palea much smaller than lemma in lower and middle florets or nearly equaling in upper florets, keels densely ciliate, abaxially pubescent, apex obtuse or acute, exceeding keels; lodicules ca. 4 mm. Stamens 3; anthers 5–6 mm. Styles 3. New shoots Apr–May, fl. May.
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