Plants forming hummocks 0.5–1 m high, 0.6 m wide, stoloniferous, highly resinous on leaves, aromatic. Flowering culms 0.75–1.6 m high. Leaves: lower sheaths laterally folded, glabrous and smooth or scabrous and pubescent between nerves; orifice and collar bearded with resin-matted hairs to 8 mm long; blade curved or flexuose with age, often drooping to ground, flat or folded, 35–45 cm long, 1–2.8 mm wide, with pubescent pseudopetiole, sparsely scabrid on margins, rarely pilose. Panicles loose to open, 25–60 cm long, 3–6 cm wide; axis quadrangular, ribbed and grooved; branches to 16.5 mm long, sometimes sparsely divided. Spikelets linear, 8–20 mm long, 2–4 mm wide; pedicel 2–17 mm long; florets 5–12, loose (close when young), terminal one much reduced; rachilla flattened with a median rib. Glumes lanceolate or narrow-oblong, entire and acuminate or 2-lobed and mucronate from apex or sinus, membranous or cartilaginous, keeled upwards, 3 (–5)-nerved, glabrous; lower glume 6–8.5 mm long, upper glume 5–8 mm long. Callus bearded laterally. Basal lemma lanceolate, 5–6 mm long, 9-nerved, sparsely ciliate in lower middle part; body indurated, smooth; margins cartilaginous or hyaline, smooth or scaberulous; lobes similar, narrow-triangular, flattened, 1.5–2 mm long. Palea subequal to lemma, lanceolate or narrowly oblong-elliptic, usually beaked and entire or 2-lobed; body indurated; keels winged; flaps narrow, membranous-hyaline. Anthers 2.5–3.4 mm long.
Grows on skeletal soils,on rocky hills and gorges of sandstone, quartzite and sometimes granite;occasionally in white sandy creek beds and near inland lakes.
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