Plants forming dense symmetrical hummocks, 0.15–0.5 m high, 0.15–1 m wide, stoloniferous. Flowering culms 0.2–1.6 m high. Leaves: sheath indurated, with broad scarious ciliate margins, sometimes sparsely hairy between thickened nerves; orifice usually ciliate with long translucent hairs; blade straight, often horizontal, 7–12 (–20) cm long, 0.7–1 mm wide, closely nerved and translucently dotted on lower surface, usually ciliate on pseudopetiole with tubercle-based clusters of hairs extending to blade margin. Panicles contracted, dense or loose, (5–) 8–12 (–25) cm long, 1–3 cm wide; axis and branches flattened; branches to 2 (–3.5) cm long. Spikelets solitary or in pairs, ovate or linear-oblong, 8–13 mm long, 4–7 mm wide, closely 5–7 (–12)-flowered; pedicels unequal, 2–25 mm long; rachilla internodes thick, about 1 mm long. Glumes both ovate or lower glume narrower, 4–7.5 mm long, entire or minutely lobed, mucronate, cartilaginous to indurated, 3 (–5)-nerved, glabrous, shiny. Callus obtuse, densely bearded. Basal lemma 3–6 mm long, not abruptly bitextured, cartilaginous to indurated, 9-nerved (in 3 groups of 3), hirsute near midnerve and basal margins, shiny, often purple; lobes 0.5–1 mm long. Palea ±length of lemma, entire, firmly scarious to cartilaginous, not abruptly bitextured; body glabrous; keels with prominently exposed, often purple wings. Anthers 2.5–3 mm long.
Grows in skeletal soils on granite, limestone, sandstone,quartzite, slate and laterite in a wide variety of habitats.
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