Coarse, somewhat woody perennial; culms erect or ascending from strong rhizomes, sometimes geniculate at the lower nodes, simple, or sparingly branching, mostly 1-2 m. high, sometimes dwarf; sheaths usually as long as or longer than the internodes, loose, keeled toward the summit, glabrous, or the margins pilose above; ligule densely ciliate, about 2 mm. long; blades elongate, attenuate, 5-8 mm., or even 10 mm., wide, very scabrous; panicles 7-16 cm. long, nodding or flexuous, the spikelets pale, the bristles tawny or purple; fascicles ascending, con-taining 1 spikelet, the bristles usually numerous, slender, 12-15 mm. long, the innermost stouter, 15-25 mm. long; spikelets 6-7 mm. long, acuminate, minutely scabrous; first glume thin, 1-nerved, acute or obtuse, about one-third as long as the spikelet; second glume 5-nerved, three-fourths as long as the spikelet; sterile lemma 5-nerved, acuminate, a little shorter than the fruit, enclosing a palea and sometimes a staminate flower; fruit acuminate, the lemma scabrous above, the palea pubescent, the tip not enclosed.
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