Robust, lax tufts, ± rhizomatous. Leaf-sheath glabrous, ± striate, mostly deep purple. Ligule c. 1 mm. Collar thick, glabrous, recurved. Leaf-blade 7-15 cm × 3-6 mm, tapering, glabrous to ± scabrid on both surfaces, adaxially shallowly ribbed; margins prickle-toothed. Culm 20-40 cm, internodes glabrous, ridged. Panicle 8-16 cm, very lax, spreading; branches glabrous, 1-2 at each node, slender, naked below, spikelets few towards tips; pedicels 1-5 mm, ± scabrid to villous below spikelet. Glumes obovate, subacute to obtuse, glabrous, often purplish with wide hyaline margins, 3-nerved; upper glume 4-6 mm. Florets > lower glume, brown, uppermost somewhat lighter, ± shining. ♂ florets: lemma 4-5.5 mm, oblong, lobes c. 0.5 mm, long villous, rounded, finely scabrid, margins long-ciliate; awns unequal, rather stout, awn of lower floret 1.5-3 mm, scarcely twisted or bent, awn of second floret 4-6 mm, column 2-3.5 mm, twisted below geniculate arista 2-3 mm, insertion 2-3.5 mm above base; palea 4-4.5 mm, keels hairy to base finely pubescent above; lodicules c. 1 mm, ± ovate, acute, irregularly 1-2-lobed often ciliate; callus hairs sparse to 1 mm; anthers 2.0-2.5 mm. ☿ floret: lemma 3.5-4.5 mm, ovate, glabrous below, finely pubescent above, usually long hairy at apex; awn rather stout, 2-3 mm, subapical; palea c. 3.5 mm, ovate-lanceolate, keels 2, hairy throughout, minutely scabrid above; lodicules 1-1.2 mm; gynoecium: ovary 0.75-1.25 mm, stigma-styles 3.75-4.75 mm; anthers 1.4-1.8 mm; caryopsis 2 × 0.75 mm, embryo 0.3-0.4 mm, hilum 0.5-0.75 mm.

Plant perennial, robust laxly tufted. Culms 20-40 cm tall with 3-4 elongated internodes. 2-3 cataphylls present at base, up to 5 cm long. Leaf sheath 2-10 cm long, glabrous, more or less striated, mostly deep purple. Ligule about 1 mm long, rather thick. Collar distinct, somewhat pulvinate. Leaf blade 7-15 cm long, 3-6 mm wide, flat, tapering, glabrous to somewhat scabrous on both surfaces. Adaxial surface scarcely striated, ridges broad, flat, with broad bands of enlarged sunken epidermal cells between them. Vascular bundles about 15, fairly uniform. Sclerenchyma discontinuous, bilateral, connected to bundles, or occasionally missing in alternate bundles. Peduncles longer than uppermost sheaths. Panicles 8-16 cm long, very lax, spreading, glabrous. Branches 1-2 at each node, long slender bare below. Spikelets few towards ends of branches. Pedicels 1-5 mm long, more or less scabrid to villous near apex. Glumes subequal, upper about 6 mm long, obovate, subacute to rounded, often tinged purple with wide hyaline margins, glabrous, 3-nerved, middle nerve percurrent, lateral 0.5 to 0.7 as long. Rachilla sinuous, glabrous. Florets longer than lower glume, brown, female somewhat lighter than male, more or less shiny. Male floret lemmas about 5.5 mm long, oblong, rounded, finely scabrid, long ciliate margins with light brown cilia, sparsely villous on callus. Awns of the two florets rather stout, unequal, that of lower 2-3 mm long, scarcely twisted or bent, that of upper 4-6 mm long twisted below and bent, exserted from about 2 mm below apex. Paleas about as long as lemmas, wide, finely pubescent above. Lodicules about 1 mm long, more or less ovate, acute, irregularly 1-, 2-lobed. Anthers about 2 mm long. Female floret lemma about 4 mm long, ovate, smooth below finely pubescent above, with long hairs about apex mostly present. Awn rather stout 1-2 mm long, subapical. Palea about equalling lemma, ovate, lanceolate, minutely scabrid above.

Planta perennis, robusta, laxe caespitosa, plus minusve rhizomatosa; rhizomata supra solum emergentia nullis factis ramis. Culmi 20-40 cm alti, cum internodiis 3-4 elongatis, cataphylla 2-3 ad 5 cm longa ad basim gerentes. Folii vagina 2-10 cm longa, glabra, plus minusve striata, plerumque atropurpurea. Ligula circa 1 mm longa, crassiuscula. Collum distinctum aliquantum pulvinatum. Lamina 7-15 cm longa, 3-6 mm lata, plana, angustata, glabra vel leviter scabrida in utraque pagina. Pagina adaxiahs vix striata; juga lata, plana, latis vittis dilatarutn depressarum epidermalium cellularum interpositis. Fasciculi vasculares circa 15, satis uniformes. Sclerenchyma interruptum, bilaterale, ad fasciculos junctum vel in alternatis fasciculis interdum deficiens. Pedunculi vaginas supremas superantes. Paniculae 8-16 cm longae, laxissimae, effusae, glabrae. Rami 1-2 in quoque nodo, longi, graciles, infra nudi. Spiculae paucae ad apices ramorum. Pedicelli 1-5 mm longi, plus minusve ad apicem scabridi vel villosi. Glumae subaequales, superior circa 6 mm longa, obovata, subacuta vel rotundata, saepe purpureotincta marginibus latis, hyalinis, glabris, 3-nervis; medius nervus percurrens, lateralis nervus medio dimidia vel tertia parte brevior. Rachilla sinuosa, glabra. Flosculi glumam inferiorem superantes, brunnei, feminei aliquantum pallidiores quam masculi, plus minusve nitidi. Lemmata flosculorum masculorum circa 5.5 mm longa, oblonga, rotundata, subtiliter scabrida, marginibus longe-ciliatis, ciliis pallide-brunneis, in callo sparse villosa. Aristae duorum flosculorum robustiores, inaequales; arista flosculi inferioris 2-3 mm longa, vix contorta vel reflexa; arista flosculi superioris 4-6 mm longa, infra contorta reflexaque, circa 2 mm ab apice exserta. Paleae paene lemmata aequantes, latae, supra subtiliter pubescentes. Lodiculae circa 1 mm longae, plus minusve ovatae, acutae, irregulariter 1-2-lobatae. Antherae circa 2 mm longae. Lemma flosculi feminei circa 4 mm longum, ovatum, infra glabrum, supra subtiliter pubescens, plerumque pilis longis circa apicem indutum. Arista robustior 1-2 mm longa subapicalis. Palea lemma plus minusve aequans, ovata, lanceolata, supra minute scabrida.