Flowering culms 15–50 cm high, (3–) 5–7-noded. Leaf blades flat, involute or convolute, 3–16 cm long, 0.5–3.5 mm wide. Inflorescence branches 3–6, erect to spreading, 1.8–4.5 (–6) cm long. Spikelets biseriate, 5.5–9.0 mm long, with 4–9 florets, green or purple to yellowish. Glumes: lower glume linear to oblong, 3–4.5 mm long; upper glume oblanceolate or elliptic, 5–8 mm long. Callus 2.5–3 mm long. Basal lemma obovate, bidentate or with 2 short lobes, 5.5–8 mm long (3–5 mm without callus), smooth, silky; awn dorsally attached, much longer than lemma body, 5.5–8 mm long. Palea elliptic or obovate, ±equal to lemma body, with body glabrous or pubescent, with keels ciliate. Caryopsis obovate, 1.3–2.1 mm long. Awns of incomplete florets to 5 mm long.
Usually occurs onclay soils in depressions, often with saline conditions, but also known fromsandy and loamy soils, especially in disturbed areas such as roadsides.
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