Erect, shortly rhizomatous, perennial light green to purplish tufts, to 40 cm, with loosely packed shoots, and culms overtopping leaves; branching extravaginal; leaf-blades persistent. Leaf-sheath green or purplish, later light brown, membranous, glabrous, distinctly ribbed. Ligule (0.4)-0.7-1.5 mm, apically glabrous, entire, obtuse, abaxially slightly scabrid. Leaf-blade 1.5-16 cm × 0.5-1.5 mm, usually folded, rather wiry, often filiform rarely flat, smooth, but scabrid adaxially near ligule and abaxially on midrib near acute, ± incurved tip; margins scabrid. Culm (4)-12-35-(50) cm, internodes glabrous. Panicle (1.5)-3-9 cm, very lax; rachis glabrous, branches often in pairs, finely, sparingly scabrid, spreading, often purplish, each bearing few, conspicuous spikelets. Spikelets (2.3)-3-6 mm, (1)-2-3-(5)-flowered, green, often purplish. Glumes rather unequal, usually purplish; lower 1-2.5 mm, 1-nerved, linear-lanceolate, subacute, upper c. 2-3 mm, 3-nerved, elliptic-lanceolate, obtuse, often scabrid on nerves. Lemma (2)-2.5-3.5 mm, 5-nerved, oblong-lanceolate, glabrous, apart from minute prickle-teeth on midnerve near obtuse, usually purplish tip. Palea 2-3 mm, keels shortly scabrid in upper ½, interkeel glabrous. Callus glabrous. Rachilla c. 0.5 mm, glabrous; prolongation almost twice as long. Lodicules 0.3-0.5 mm. Anthers (0.6)-0.8-1.2-(1.5) mm. Caryopsis c. 1.5 × 0.5 mm.
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