Plants forming dense or loose hummocks, sometimes rings, 0.15–1.5 m high, 0.15–4 m wide, stoloniferous, with prop roots, resinous on foliage only, not aromatic, often glaucous. Flowering culms 0.6–2.3 m high. Leaves: sheath smooth, glabrous (no flat fan-shaped sheaths observed); orifice with hairs 0.5–2.5 mm long; blade often coiled or flexuose, usually folded, to 34 cm long, 0.8–1.2 mm wide, not pseudopetiolate, with clear (sometimes retrorse) prickles or tubercles on margins. Panicles linear, contracted, usually dense, 14–27 (–37) cm long, 1–2.5 (–3.5) cm wide; axis ribbed and grooved, scabrous-pubescent; branches triquetrous, 1.2–9 cm long, sometimes further divided. Spikelets linear to ovate, 7–12 (–16) mm long, 2–5 mm wide, closely (sometimes loosely) 3–8 (–13)-flowered; pedicel 1–9 mm long; rachilla terete. Glumes ±equal, linear-lanceolate to oblong, 3–10 mm long, entire, acute or rarely acuminate, often rigid-tipped, cartilaginous to indurated, 3–5 (–7)-nerved, usually glabrous. Callus obtuse or sometimes acute, bearded with white hairs. Basal lemma lanceolate to broadly elliptic, 5.5–7.5 mm long, cartilaginous or indurated with margins and lobes thinner, often purple or yellowish; base and midnerve usually hairy; lobes ±equal or midlobe longest, flat or midlobe ±subulate, 1–2.5 (–3) mm long, closely 3-nerved. Palea narrowelliptic, usually slightly longer than lemma body, indurated with cartilaginous flaps; apex beaked, sometimes ciliolate; keels narrowly winged. Anthers 2–3 mm long.
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A grass which forms loose tussocks. It keeps growing from year to year. It grows 0.3-2.3 m high. The tussocks are 2 m across. The flowering stems are 20-100 cm high. The flowers are green and purple. The seed heads are pyramid shaped.
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