Slender annual; culms erect or ascending from a somewhat decumbent base, sometimes rooting at the lower nodes, commonly 20-50 cm., but sometimes as much as 2 m. high, simple or branching from the base, glabrous, the nodes appressed-pubescent; sheaths rounded or keeled toward the summit, glabrous; ligule firm, 0.5-2 mm. long; blades commonly 6-15 cm. long, 2-4 mm. wide, but on larger plants as much as 25 cm. long and 8 mm. wide, pustulose or papillose-roughened, usually pilose on the upper surface, the margins scabrous; panicles 5-20 cm. long, the slender rather distant branches ascending, the secondary branches and peduncles of the short racemes very slender or filiform, flexuous or tortuous, the peduncles glabrous or sparsely covered with long hairs; spikelets 3.5-5 mm. long, the first glume usually truncate, the tip minutely hispidulous, hirsute on the back, sometimes only near the base; rachis joints and pedicels densely ciliate with white or yellowish hairs; awns 2-4.5 cm. long, twice-geniculate, the two lower segments tightly twisted, usually villous, dark brown.
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