Tall, caespitose, stiff, erect perennial with swollen bases occasionally with elongating basal internodes and branching at nodes; branching intravaginal, cataphylls small. Sheath to 25 cm, smooth, often with crisped very short intercostal hairs. Ligule 3-7 mm, decurrent, symmetrical or asymmetrical, nerved, subacute. Lamina to 60 cm × 0.7 mm diam., rigid, folded but appearing terete, abaxially smooth, glabrous, sharply acicular, adaxially with abundant crisped short white hairs and some prickle teeth towards base. Culms to 1 m, smooth, glabrous; nodes concealed. Inflorescence to 20 cm, narrow; branches ascending; rachis, branches and pedicels glabrous. Glumes ± equal, to 20 mm, 3-nerved, produced into awn-like processes ± 1 mm, or acuminate, > awn column. Lemma 8-10 mm long, fuscous, with white or brown hairs (± 2 mm), lobes hairy, 1-2 mm; coma to 3 mm; awn to 35 mm, with short stiff hairs, 1 -geniculate, column strongly twisted to 10 mm, arista to 25 mm. Palea with abundant long internerve hairs, few elsewhere, entire or shallowly lobed, apex shortly fimbriate. Callus to 1.5 mm, hairs to 1.5 mm. Lodicules 3, usually 1-2-nerved, acute, ligulate, to 2.5 mm, often 1- or 2-fid, adhering to caryopsis. Anthers apically and basally caudate, to 7.0 mm. Chasmogamous.