Plants forming dense symmetrical hummocks 0.3–1.2 m high, 0.5–1.5 m wide, sometimes stoloniferous and fastigiate at nodes. Flowering culms (0.3–) 0.4–1.3 (–2) m high. Leaves: sheath indurated with hyaline margins, pilose, with stiff straight hairs to 7.5 mm long on margins and orifice and sometimes extending to blade; blade often curved or flexuose, folded, 4.5–30 cm long, 0.8–1.3 mm wide, finely pungent (spine 2–4 mm long), uniformly grooved on lower surface, translucently dotted when young; pseudopetiole glabrous or with clustered tubercle-based translucent hairs extending to blade. Panicles dense or rather loose, (5–) 9–35 cm long, 1.5–3 (–6) cm wide; axis quadrangular; branches 2–10 cm long, sometimes further divided. Spikelets linear to ovate, 7–19 mm long, 3–9 mm wide, usually closely 4–16-flowered; pedicel 1–22 mm long; rachilla internodes c. 0.5 mm long, thick. Glumes ovate-lanceolate or oblong, 4.5–9 mm long, acute or acuminate, with 1 (rarely 3) nerves sometimes extended as mucros, 3–5-nerved, glabrous, scaberulous on keel and upper margins, often purple on back. Callus blunt. Basal lemma 4–7.5 mm long, hairy along lower midnerve and usually lower submargins; body cartilaginous or indurated (margins thinner); lobes 1/4–1/2 length of body, triangular and acuminate at tips or subulate, glabrous, often purple. Palea longer than lemma body, entire or emarginate, abruptly bitextured, mostly membranous to cartilaginous with hyaline apex and flaps; keels with sometimes protruding wings about 0.5 mm wide. Anthers 2 mm long.
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