Plants hummock-forming, resinous. Flowering culms c. 1.5 m high. Leaves: sheath 2–5 mm wide, persistent, sparsely hairy; orifice bearded with resin-matted hairs to 3 mm long; blade often curved or flexuose, folded, 12–30 (–40) cm long, 0.8 mm wide, long-pungent, densely scabrous on upper surface, with prickly margins. Panicles spiciform, usually linear, 9–20 (–30) cm long and 1.5–2 (–4) cm wide including awns; axis strongly ribbed; branches to 5.5 cm long. Spikelets solitary or paired, 5–6 mm long excluding awns; pedicel 2–7 mm long; florets 3–5, loosely overlapping; rachilla internodes 1.5 mm long, slender. Glumes linear-lanceolate, 5–7 mm long, subequal or lower glume c. 1 mm longer than upper, acuminate, scarious, 1-nerved or lower 3-nerved, glabrous, translucent, entire or upper or both glumes 2-lobed and aristulate from sinus; lobes acuminate; awnlet to 2 mm long. Callus minute, poorly developed. Basal lemma: body narrow-ovate, 2–3 mm long, membranous or scarious, with hirsute midrib and margins; midlobe (including awn) 10–20 mm long; lateral lobes (with awns) to 7.5 mm long, often very unequal, sometimes one awnless. Palea 3–4 mm long, blunt, entire or bifid from keels; body uniformly membranous or scarious, sparsely pubescent; flaps glabrous, smooth. Anthers 1–1.5 mm long.
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