Perennial, shortly rhizomatous. Culms erect, 1–2 m tall, 3–4 mm in diam., many-noded, branching in upper part. Leaf sheaths hispid with short, tubercle-based hairs or glabrous, usually longer than internodes; leaf blades lanceolate, papery, 10–20 × 1–2.5 cm, sparsely hispid with short, scattered, tubercle-based hairs, base rounded, margins serrulate, apex acuminate; ligule 0.5–1 mm. Inflorescence of 1–6 subdigitate racemes. Racemes up to 15 cm or more, stiffly suberect, spikelets normally paired, occasionally triads of 2 sessile and 1 pedicelled present; rachis internodes columnar, laterally sharply keeled, back rounded or obtusely keeled, lowest internode elongate, much exceeding sessile spikelet, successive internodes shorter. Sessile spikelet 6–7 mm; callus shortly pilose; lower glume lanceolate to ovate, leathery, back flat or slightly convex, obscurely ribbed, margins incurved, ciliolate, keeled and scabrid below apex; upper glume scabrid on keel toward apex; lower floret staminate, palea present; upper lemma and palea subequal, 2 styles arising separately from ovary apex, not elongate. Pedicelled spikelet variable, resembling sessile spikelet but slightly smaller or much reduced; pedicel stoutly oblong, straight. Fl. and fr. Aug–Oct.
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