Plants forming hummocks 0.3 m high, 0.3–1 m wide, stoloniferous. Flowering culms 0.75–1.3 m high. Leaves: sheath reddish brown when mature; lower sheaths with long straight shining persistent hairs covering the back and short unequal hairs on margins; upper sheaths glabrescent; orifice with long straight shining hairs; blade curved or flexuose, to 55 cm long, 1–1.3 mm wide, finely striate and pustulate adaxially (except on pseudopetiole); margins thick, prickly. Panicles continuous or interrupted, 31–65 cm long, 0.5–1.5 cm wide; branches alternate, erect, 2.5–6.5 cm long. Spikelets overlapping in 2 rows on lateral branches and upper part of axis, solitary or paired, cuneate, plump, 4–8 mm long, 3–4 mm wide, closely 4–8-flowered; pedicel 0.5–2 mm long. Glumes unequal, ovate, 3–5 mm long, entire, acute or lower glume obtuse and upper acuminate, indurated, strongly carinate; apex glabrous or minutely hairy and often asymmetric. Callus bearded. Basal lemma elliptic-oblong, 4–5 mm long, lobed for one-third to ±half of its length, indurated with margins membranous to scarious, hirsute in lower 1/2–2/3; lobes long-acuminate and firmly pointed; midlobe often longer than laterals. Palea longer than body of lemma; body scarious, glabrous; keels narrowly winged (wings not exposed); flaps membranous. Anthers 1.6–3 mm long.
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