Perennials, loosely to moderately densely tufted, usually not rhizomatous, infrequently with short delicate rhizomes; shoots extravaginal and pseudointravaginal. Culms erect or decumbent, often geniculate, 5–30(–40) cm tall, 0.5–1 mm in diam., round, smooth, nodes 2 or 3, none or 1(–2) exserted, nodes distinctly constricted and translucent, basal sheaths soon withering. Leaf sheaths smooth or finely scabrid, glabrous, loose, 2–10 cm, 1.25–5 × as long as blade, uppermost closed for 1/3–2/3 of length; blade flat, thin, 2–9 cm × 1.5–2.5 mm, surfaces and margins nearly smooth to scabrid, apex slender prow-tipped, uppermost erect or slightly divergent, 1–4.5 cm, of tillers 2–8 cm; ligule 1.5–4.3(–6) mm, abaxially smooth or sparsely scabrid, apex acute, sometimes blunt, collars smooth, glabrous. Panicle open, lax, exserted, 3–10 × 2–5 cm, longest internodes 1–3 cm; branches spreading to reflexed, flexuous, often arched upward, sometimes looping back, rounded, 1 or 2 per node, smooth or slightly scabrid distally on pedicels, longest 2–4 cm, with 2–6 spikelets in distal 1/2; flowers female or perfect. Spikelets elliptic, (4–)4.3–5.5(–5.8) mm, florets (1 or)2 or 3(or 4); vivipary absent; rachilla internodes 0.5–3 mm, smooth, bumpy, glabrous or rarely pilulose; glumes unequal to subequal, narrow, surfaces minutely punctate with purple papillae, keels weak, keels and veins sometimes sparsely scabrid distally, lower glume 2.5–3.5(–4) mm, 1-veined, often blunt, upper glume 3–3.5(–4.9) mm, 3-veined; lemmas very thinly papery, 3.2–4.8(–5) mm, intermediate veins faint to moderately prominent, keel and marginal veins proximally villous, area between veins proximally scabrid or pilulose, distally scabrid; callus glabrous or webbed, hairs sparse; palea smooth or scabrid, glabrous between keels, keels finely scabrid for over 3/4 of length. Anthers 2–3.5 mm or vestigial. Fl. and fr. Jun–Aug.
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