Open coarsely hairy grass with long drooping inflorescences of many straight-awned spikelets; branching usually intravaginal but often extravaginal. Leafsheath to 10 cm, hirsute with erect or retrorse hairs 0.5–0.75 mm long. Ligule 0.1 mm, truncate. Collar recurved, glabrous except for 1–2 very long hairs especially near auricles. Auricles 0.5–1 mm, clasping, glabrous. Leaf-blade 18 cm × 1–4 mm, everywhere coarsely hirsute, occasionally rough with prickle teeth. Culms to 1 .5 m, decumbent below, drooping above at maturity, internodes usually smooth but occasionally rough, irregularly hairy below lower nodes. Inflorescence 10–20 cm, up to 10 spikelets, convex surfaces fairly scabrid. Spikelets 40–55 mm, of 5–10 florets often purple flecked. Glumes unequal, 4–10 mm, 3–5 nerves, irregularly long triangular, centrally keeled, margins membranous, ciliate at apex, becoming awned and sometimes scabrid above. Lemma glabrous below becoming prickle-toothed above, keeled above continuing into very scabrid straight awn 30–50 mm. Palea 9–11 mm, apex truncate to retuse. Rachilla 1.5–2.5 mm, hairs becoming long at apex. Callus 0.75 mm, surrounded by long hairs > callus. Lodicules 1–1.25 mm. Anthers 1.8–2 .3 mm, yellow or purple streaked. Gynoecium: ovary 1.25 mm; stigma-styles to 2.5 mm. Caryopsis 6–6.5 mm; embryo 1–1.2 mm.

Open coarsely hairy grass with long drooping inflorescences of many straight-awned spikelets; branching usually intravaginal but often extravaginal. Leaf-sheath to 10 cm, hirsute with erect or retrorse hairs 0.5-0.75 mm. Ligule 0.1 mm, truncate. Collar recurved, glabrous except for 1-2 very long hairs especially near auricles. Auricles 0.5-1 mm, clasping, glabrous. Leaf-blade 18 cm × 1-4 mm, everywhere coarsely hirsute, occasionally rough with prickle-teeth. Culm to 1.5 m, decumbent below, drooping above at maturity, internodes usually smooth but occasionally rough, irregularly hairy below lower nodes. Inflorescence 10-20 cm, up to 10 spikelets, convex surfaces fairly scabrid. Spikelets 40-55 mm, of 5-10 florets often purple flecked. Glumes unequal, 4-10 mm, 3-5-nerved, irregularly long triangular, centrally keeled, margins membranous, ciliate at apex, becoming awned and sometimes scabrid above. Lemma smooth below becoming prickle-toothed above, keeled above continuing into very scabrid straight awn 30-50 mm. Palea 9-11 mm, apex truncate to retuse. Rachilla 1.5-2.5 mm, hairs becoming long at apex. Callus 0.75 mm, surrounded by hairs > callus. Lodicules 1-1.25 mm. Anthers 1.8-2.3 mm, yellow or purple streaked. Gynoecium: ovary 1.25 mm; stigma-styles to 2.5 mm. Caryopsis 6-6.5 mm; embryo 1-1.2 mm.