Plants laxly tufted, with underground rhizomes. Culms 40–60 cm tall, 2-or 3-noded, glabrous, but pubescent below spike. Leaf sheath brown at base, usually shorter than internode; ligule 0.4–0.6 mm; leaf blade involute at margin, (2–)8–17 × (0.2–)0.3–0.5 cm, both surfaces scabrous. Spike oblong, 7–9 × 0.8–1.2 cm; rachis margin hirsute. Spikelets usually 3 per node, narrowly elliptic, with 1 or 2 florets. Glumes (8–)10–12(–14) mm, pilose proximally, scabrous distally. Lemma (8–) 9–12(–14) mm including awn, usually sparsely pilose. Palea (6.5–)7–10 mm, apex bifid. Lodicules 1.4–1.8 mm. Anthers yellow, 3.5–4.5(–5) mm. Caryopsis 4.5–4.6 × 1.2–1.4 mm. Fl. and fr. Jun–Jul. 2n = 14*.