Perennials, tufted, with or without short rhizomes; shoots extravaginal and intravaginal. Culms few to several, erect, (5–)15–55 cm, nodes 1–3, 0–2 exserted, uppermost to 1/4–1/2 way up, base enclosed in few to many layers of old pale brown sheaths. Leaf sheaths smooth or the lower ones coarsely scabrid, glabrous, 2–15 cm, 1.5–3 × as long as blade, uppermost closed for 1/2 of length; blades flat or folded, moderately thin, 2–10 cm × 2–3(–5) mm, abaxially smooth or scabrid, adaxially scabrid, of tillers to 20 cm; ligules 2–4 mm, abaxially smooth. Panicle open or loosely contracted, 2–10 × 1.5–6 cm, longest internodes 0.4–2.1 cm; branches spreading to reflexed, sinuously flexuous or arched, (1 or)2(–4) per node, rounded and smooth or distally sparsely scabrid and slightly angled, longest 1–6 cm with 2–6 spikelets clustered in distal 1/3, clusters frequently pendent; flowers female or perfect, sometimes whole inflorescences female. Spikelets ovate, purple tinged, 5–9(–10) mm, florets 2–4; vivipary present or commonly absent; rachilla internodes 0.5–1(–1.2) mm, smooth, glabrous; glumes subequal, smooth or keel sparsely scabrid, lower glume 3.5–6 mm, 1-to faintly 3-veined, upper glume 4–7 mm, 3-veined; lemmas (4–)4.5–7.5 mm, veins 5(–9), intermediate veins distinct, apex acute, keel and veins scabrid, hooks fine to coarse, sometimes elongated, occasionally developed into short villous hairs in the lower 1/3, surfaces proximally moderately to densely scabrid, distally moderately to sparsely scabrid or minutely bumpy; callus glabrous; palea scabrid between keels, keels densely scabrid. Anthers 2–3 mm, or vestigial. Fl. and fr. Jul–Aug.
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