Perennial, forming large clumps. Culms stout, up to 2 m or more tall, ca. 10 mm in diam., simple or rarely branched, nodes bearded. Leaf sheaths keeled, glabrous; leaf blades linear-lanceolate, rather stiff, tough, 30–60 × 1–2 cm, hairy near ligule on adaxial surface, margins ciliate near base; ligule 1–2 mm, margin ciliate. Inflorescence a large ovate-oblong panicle, 25–40 cm, with many racemes arranged in whorls. Lower racemes pedunculate, up to 10 cm; rachis internodes broadly cuneate, angled, ribbed, finely scaberulous. Sessile spikelet 3.5–4 mm; lower glume ovate, papery, flat on back, marginally 2-keeled, keels narrowly winged, wings scabrid-hispidulous, apex obtuse; upper glume lanceolate, acute; lower floret sterile, palea absent; upper floret with palea as long as lemma, 2 styles arising separately from ovary apex, not elongate. Pedicelled spikelet similar to sessile but slightly smaller; pedicel resembling internode but shorter. Fl. and fr. autumn.
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