Tufted perennial to 35 cm with short ascending rhizomes; branching extravaginal. Leaf-sheath submembranous, distinctly ribbed, keeled above, glabrous. Ligule 1-1.2 mm, rounded, erose, abaxially minutely hairy. Leaf-blade 2-15 cm × 1.5-7 mm, flat, striate; ribs and margins minutely prickle-toothed, tip subacute, hooded. Culm 10-28 cm, erect, internodes glabrous, pubescent near panicle. Panicle 1.2-5 cm, contracted; rachis sparsely pubescent, branches hidden by numerous, dense spikelets, pedicels very short, with few minute prickle-teeth. Spikelets 2-2.5 × 1.5-2 mm, 3-4-flowered, almost sessile, ovate, pale green, brownish near base. Glumes ± equal, 1.5-2 mm, 3-nerved, spreading, firmly membranous, concave, keeled, suborbicular, minutely prickle-toothed above with a few longer hairs on midnerve. Lemma c. 2 mm, 7-nerved, centrally hardened, concave, brown, shining, glabrous, apex hyaline, minutely papillose, margins minutely ciliate. Palea c. 1.5 mm, elliptic-suborbicular, keels ciliate. Lodicules c. 1 mm. Stamen 1; anther c. 0.3 mm. Gynoecium: ovary 0.4-0.5 mm; stigma-styles 0.5-0.7 mm. Caryopsis not seen.