Perennials, loosely tufted, not rhizomatous; shoots extravaginal. Culms decumbent, sometimes geniculate, (40–)50–85 cm tall, 1.5–3 mm in diam., smooth, glabrous, nodes 5–7, 1 or 2 exserted. Leaf sheaths keeled, 8–15 cm, 1–1.3 × as long as blade, uppermost closed for 2/3–5/7 of length, lower sheaths scabrid, upper sheaths smooth; blade flat, moderately thin, 8–12 cm × 2–7 mm, distinctly keeled, surfaces smooth, keel and margins smooth or scabrid, apex abruptly slender prow-tipped; ligule 3–6.5 mm, abaxially scabrid, apex obtuse to acute, basal and tiller ligules shorter, collars smooth to long scabrid on margins. Panicle open, lax, 10–20 × 1–6 cm, longest internodes 3–5 cm; branches ascending to spreading, 1 or 2 per node, proximally rounded, distally slightly angled, smooth, longest 3–9 cm with 2–5 well-spaced spikelets in distal 1/3. Spikelets green, sometimes glaucous, 5.5–9.2 mm, florets 3–5; vivipary absent; rachilla internodes 0.8–2.3 mm, smooth or minutely bumpy, glabrous or hispidulous; glumes surfaces minutely papillate-punctate, apex acuminate, keel distally scabrid, lower glume 3.3–4 mm, (1 or)3-veined, upper glume 4–4.7 mm, 3-veined; lemmas 4.5–5.2 mm, apex narrowly membranous, keels shortly villous for 2/3 of length, marginal veins for 1/3, intermediate veins prominent, glabrous or sparsely pilulose, area between veins finely scabrid throughout; callus webbed; palea scabrid between keels, keels scabrid, medially pilulose. Anthers 1.1–1.6(–2) mm. Fl. and fr. Jun–Aug.