Long-rhizomatous, narrow-leaved, greyish green perennial tufts, to 25 cm; branching intravaginal; leaf-blades persistent. Leaf-sheath light greenish brown, faintly purpled above, smooth or occasionally scabrid between ribs, membranous, keeled, with a few prominent ribs. Ligule 0.5-1-(1.5) mm, apically glabrous, entire, truncate with ± abrupt central peak, abaxially minutely pubescent-scabrid. Leaf-blade (2)-5-9-(12) cm, inrolled, c. 1 mm diam., wiry, abaxially glabrous, adaxially glabrous or with scattered short hairs especially near margins; tip acicular. Culm 10-25 cm, slender, internodes glabrous. Panicle 2-4.5-(6) cm, with few, ± spreading branches; rachis glabrous, branches very slender, glabrous, tipped by very few, narrow spikelets. Spikelets 6-9 mm, 3-4-flowered, greenish brown. Glumes subequal, glabrous, rarely with a few minute prickle-teeth on midnerve near tip, acute to subobtuse; lower (3)-3.5-4 mm, 1-3-nerved, narrow-elliptic, upper (3.5)-4-4.5 mm, 3-5-nerved, more broadly ovate. Lemma 4.5-5-(6) mm, 5-7-(9)-nerved, elliptic-lanceolate, acute, glabrous apart from short hairs on lower ⅔ of midnerve and on lateral nerves near base, with some longer hairs at very base, smooth apart from minute prickle-teeth on nerves near tip, and near narrow-membranous, entire margins. Palea 3-4-(5) mm, much narrower and « lemma, keels sparsely, minutely fine-ciliate, interkeel finely scabrid, flanks glabrous. Callus with tufts of long fine hairs below lemma nerves. Rachilla < 1 mm, smooth, or occasionally with a few microscopic prickle-teeth. Lodicules 0.3-0.5 mm. Dioecious: ♂ with anthers 2.9-3.3 mm, gynoecium 0.7-1.3 mm; ♀ with pollen-sterile anthers 0.6-1-(1.2) mm, ovary 0.3-0.5 mm, stigma-styles 0.75-2.2 mm, mature caryopses not seen.
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