Perennial forming loose tufts. Culms erect, 0.6–2 m tall; nodes bearded with pale spreading hairs. Leaf sheaths glabrous or pilose; leaf blades linear, 10–40(–50) × 0.4–1 cm, glabrous to hispid, bearded at base; ligule 1–1.5 mm. Panicle lanceolate in outline, 15–30 cm, glabrous but with soft hairs at the nodes; primary branches whorled, simple, flexuous, 2–5 cm, lower part bare; racemes borne at branch ends, fragile, composed of 2–4 spikelet pairs; internodes and pedicels brown-ciliate. Sessile spikelet ovate-lanceolate, 3.5–5 mm; lower glume leathery, black-brown at maturity, glossy, glabrous below middle, upper part and margins hispid with brown hairs; upper lemma awnless or awned; awn 1–1.5 cm. Pedicelled spikelet usually staminate, elliptic, 3–3.7 mm, papery, light brown. Fl. and fr. summer–autumn. 2n = 10, 20.
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