Stout caespitose or shortly rhizomatous erect perennial, prolifically branching at nodes; branching extravaginal, cataphylls numerous. Sheath to 10 cm, short hairs below, glabrous above, terminating in a short tuft of hairs. Ligule to 2 mm, erose, truncate, collar curved. Lamina to 60 cm × 4 mm, flat, abaxially antrorsely scabrous with fine prickle teeth, adaxially antrorsely scabrous or with long hairs, margins antrorsely scabrous. Culms to 2 m, bambusiform, glabrous; nodes brown, rough. Inflorescence to 50 cm, subverticillate, branches ascending-spreading; rachis smooth below, scabrous above, branches and pedicels scabrous. Glumes equal, 3-4 mm, narrow, ± = lemma, green-suffused, spreading at maturity, acuminate, sometimes shortly awned but mostly erose, 3-nerved, nerves scabrid, < awn column. Lemma 3 mm, becoming dark brown at maturity, clothed in long white appressed hairs but tubercular-scabrous beneath and at apex, lobes minute; awn to 35 mm, 1-geniculate or sometimes straight, with short stiff hairs, column straight, scabrous, 7-12 mm, arista to 25 mm. Palea 1-1.5 mm, ligulate, c. ½ length of lemma, nerves with a few scattered hairs or glabrous, internerves darker, apex ciliolate. Callus to 0.2 mm, short, blunt and rounded, loosely clothed in short white hairs to 0.5 mm. Lodicules 2, to 1.3 mm, ligulate, ± = palea. Anthers 3, penicillate and caudate, to 1.8 mm. Chasmogamous.