Plants forming compact tussocks 0.5–1 m high, c. 0.2 m wide. Vegetative culms many-noded, with overlapping sheaths. Flowering culms few. Leaves: sheath ciliate on upper margins; orifice with tangled hairs; blade rigid, folded, 2–8 (–13) cm long, closely nerved on lower surface, scabrous on pseudopetiole. Panicles loose, sparse, 7.5–15 cm long, 2–4 mm wide, often purple when young; branches to 8 mm long. Spikelets single or in pairs, narrow-cuneate, 15–22 mm long excluding awns, closely (rarely loosely) 9–12-flowered; pedicel 6–22 mm long; rachilla internodes 1.5–2.3 mm long. Glumes lanceolate-oblong, entire or toothed near apex, acuminate or aristulate, cartilaginous or scarious, many-nerved, glabrous; lower glume 10–14 mm long; upper glume 11–15 mm long. Callus acute, 1.5–1.7 mm long, densely bearded. Basal lemma 5–7 mm long (body and callus), cartilaginous or indurated with ciliate margins, many-nerved, bearded near base; lobes attenuated into straight to recurved awns; midlobe (including awn) 12–20 mm long; lateral lobes (with awns) 9–12 mm long. Palea usually exceeding lemma body, membranous, densely pubescent on both surfaces, bifid from ciliate keels. Anthers 3–4 mm long.
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