Perennials, with small tufts or isolated shoots, with slender rhizomes; shoots extravaginal. Culms erect, mostly solitary, 3–15(–25) cm tall, 0.5–1 mm in diam., smooth, nodes 1 or 2(–3), none or 1 exserted, uppermost 1/5–1/3 way up. Leaf sheaths smooth, ribs indistinct, lower ones 1.5–2 mm wide, 1.5–6.5 cm, 1–4 × as long as blade, uppermost closed for 1/3 of length, basal ones soon becoming fibrous, not persisting; blade flat or folded, moderately thin, 0.3–4 cm × 1–3 mm, abaxially smooth, adaxially smooth or finely scabrid, glabrous, margins scabrid, apex prow-tipped, of tillers and lower culm frequently curved, 1–4(–7) cm; ligule 0.5–2(–3) mm, abaxially smooth, apex truncate to obtuse, collars smooth, glabrous, uppermost erect or slightly divergent. Panicle initially contracted, ovoid, later open and pyramidal, 1.2–5 × 1.5–4 cm, longest internodes 0.25–1.3 cm; branches (1 or)2 per node, eventually spreading to reflexed, flexuous, rounded, smooth or distally scabrid, longest 0.7–2.5 cm, with 2–12 spikelets clustered distally; flowers perfect or female, sometimes whole inflorescence female. Spikelets broadly elliptic or ovate, golden tawny or purple, 3.5–4.5 mm, florets (1–)2 or 3; vivipary usually absent; rachilla internodes 0.3–0.6 mm, smooth, glabrous; glumes elliptic or ovate or subflabellate, subequal, smooth or keel with a few hooks, lower glume (2–) 2.25–3.3 mm, 1-or 3-veined, upper glume (2.2–)2.5–3.8 mm, 3-veined; lemmas broadly oblong, slightly arched along keel, 2.75–4.2(–4.7) mm, upper 1/4–1/2 membranous, turning golden-brownish, apex obtuse to acute, keel villous for 1/2 of length, marginal veins villous for 1/4 of length, area between veins smooth, glabrous or infrequently proximally pilulose; callus webbed, hairs dense, 1/2 as long as lemma; palea glabrous or proximally pilulose between keels, keels sparsely scabrid, 2–6 hooks per keel. Anthers 1.5–2 mm, or vestigial, ca. 0.1 mm. Fl. and fr. Jul–Aug. 2n = 28.
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