Perennial, tufted. Culms 5–20 cm tall. Leaf sheaths smooth; ligule 0.7–1.8 mm; leaf blade conduplicate or inrolled, 3–4 cm, 0.7–2 mm wide, glabrous or adaxial surface scabrid. Panicle contracted at first, open at maturity, 3–9 × 1–4 cm; branches 2–5 per node, 1–6 cm, slender, ascending, smooth. Spikelets 2.4–3.5 mm, pale green, becoming purple, florets 2–4; glumes with conspicuous midrib, apex acuminate, lower glume 0.9–1.5 mm, 1-veined, upper glume 1.2–1.9 mm, 3-veined; lemmas 1.5–2.1 mm, glabrous, apex obtusely acuminate, sometimes midrib extended into mucro; palea keels smooth or scabrid toward apex; anthers 0.5–0.7 mm. Fl. Jun–Jul.