Perennial, shortly rhizomatous. Culms loosely tufted, 20–50 cm tall, 0.7–1.5 mm in diam., scabrid below panicle. Leaf sheaths longer than internodes, lower sheaths scaberulous; leaf blades narrowly linear, flat or margins inrolled, 5–20 cm × 1–1.5 mm, abaxial surface glabrous, adaxial surface scaberulous and sparsely pilose; ligule 1–2 mm. Panicle lanceolate in outline, 6–8 cm, laxly bearing 4–6(–10) spikelets; branches slender, scabrid, up to 1.5 cm, unbranched and tipped by a single spikelet. Spikelets 10–14 mm, florets 3–4(–5), pale green tinged brownish purple; lower glume 4–5 mm, upper glume 5–7 mm; callus hairs 1–1.5 mm; lemmas 7–9 mm, veins scaberulous, margins broad, scarious, apical teeth acute, ca. 1.5 mm; awn 1–1.5 cm, straight or almost so. Anthers 1.5–2 mm. Fl. and fr. Jun–Jul. 2n = 20.
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