Plants robust, forming loose hummocks, 1.5–2.5 m high, 1 m wide. Culms enlarged to 2 cm wide near base by persistent overlapping leaf sheaths, pubescent especially near nodes or glabrous, scaberulous. Leaves: sheath coriaceous to indurated, glabrous or basal sheaths with appressed hairs, sometimes ciliate on margins upwards; orifice densely ciliate; blade strongly curved, folded, to c. 55 cm long, 1–2 mm wide, scabrous-pubescent above and on pseudopetiole, closely nerved on lower surface. Panicles dense, linear-oblong, 28–60 cm long, 2.5–5 cm wide, often interrupted near base, once-branched or lower branches further divided; branches and pedicels often twisted or curled, with primary branches to 15 cm long and secondaries to 2 cm long. Spikelets cuneate, 15–21 mm long excluding awns; florets 6–10, very loosely overlapping; pedicel to 20 mm long; rachilla internodes 2.5–3 mm long. Glumes subequal, lanceolate, 10–16 mm long, usually entire and acuminate, scarious, 3–5-nerved, glabrous, brown. Callus acute, c. 1 mm long, bearded except at tip. Basal lemma narrow-lanceolate, 6–9 mm long (body), cartilaginous with hyaline margins, 3-nerved, with midnerve ribbed and ciliate; lobes similar, with awns often recurved; midlobe (including awn) 10–13 mm long; lateral lobes (with awns) 6–10 mm long. Palea 7–9 mm long, bifid from keels or with 2 acuminate lobes; body cartilaginous in lower part and membranous above but not sharply demarcated, sparsely hairy; keels and flaps scaberulous or pubescent in upper part. Anthers 4–6 mm long.
Grows on sand plains and ridges often inwhite sand, near salt flats and on limestone pavements; associated with heath,scrub and woodland.
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