Perennial, densely tufted. Culms 20–50 cm tall, 2–3-noded. Leaf sheaths glabrous, usually shorter than internodes; leaf blades gray-green or gray purple, usually rolled, rarely flat, up to 10(–30) cm, 2–4 mm wide, abaxial surface smooth or scaberulous, adaxial surface puberulous; ligule lanceolate, 3–6 mm. Panicle open or contracted, 5–12(–30) cm; branches 2 per node, spreading at anthesis, erect at maturity, longest less than 1/2 panicle length. Spikelets purplish red or gray-green; glumes lanceolate-ovate, 5–8 mm, apex sharply acuminate; callus glabrous; lemma elliptic to narrowly ovate, 3.5–4 mm, back pubescent with 0.2–0.3 mm hairs, midline glabrescent at maturity, apex usually shortly beaked, pale, glabrous, shortly 2-lobed above awn insertion, lobes rounded, each with tuft of hairs; awn caducous, 2–4 mm, often slightly bent at insertion. Anthers 1.5–2.5 mm, glabrous at apex or almost so. Fl. and fr. Jun–Sep.
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