Culms loosely tufted, 60–120 cm tall, erect, or slightly geniculate, with bluish bloom; uppermost node above middle of culm. Lower leaf sheaths scabrid; leaf blade flat or folded, uppermost 3 or more × as long as sheath, (2–)3–6(–8) mm wide; ligule 0.5–1.5 mm. Panicle narrow, 15–26 cm, branches erect; lower ones 1/3–1/2 as long as panicle, with 6–16 spikelets. Spikelets slightly silverish, 4–7 mm, florets 3–6; rachilla hairy; glumes 2.8–6 mm; lemma 2.5–5 mm, keel and marginal veins proximally sparsely pubescent for 1/3 of length, glabrous between veins; callus villose; palea keels ciliate, proximally shortly and densely pubescent between keels. Anthers ca. 1.2–2 mm. Fl. Jun–Aug. 2n = 42, 49–50, 56, 70.