Tufted, dull green, slenderly rhizomatous perennial with narrow, ± erect leaves, ± reaching top of culms; branching extravaginal at plant base, intravaginal above; leaf-blades persistent. Leaf-sheath very light green or pale brown, membranous, shredding into fibres. Ligule apically glabrous, ± obtuse and slightly erose, abaxially slightly scabrid. Leaf-blade 0.5-c. 1.5 mm wide, abaxially smooth, adaxially minutely ciliate-scabrid on ribs; margins and midrib smooth, tip curved. Culm slender, internodes usually slightly scabrid below panicle. Panicle lax, with few large spikelets borne singly at tips of filiform, finely scabrid branches. Spikelets 3-5-flowered, brownish green or greenish purple. Glumes smooth, but occasionally scabrid on midnerve near tip; lower 3-nerved, upper 3-(5)-nerved. Lemma 5-7-nerved, nerves minutely scabrid with a few short hairs near base of midnerve and outer lateral nerves, internerves glabrous, often scabrid towards tip. Palea minutely closely scabrid on keels, smooth elsewhere. Callus with very small tuft of long crinkled hairs. Rachilla c. 1 mm, sparsely scabrid; prolongation to twice as long. Lodicules 0.5-0.7 mm. Caryopsis c. 1.5 × 0.7 mm.