Erect glaucous tussock from a narrow base, with intravaginal branching though sometimes rhizomatous; spikelets widely divergent from rachis, and anthesis occurring after complete spike emergence reveals long purple anthers. Leaf-sheath 7—10 cm, keeled, striate, becoming fibrous, glabrous or occasionally sparsely hairy or pubescent mixed wit h hairs 1 mm long; margins chartaceous. Ligule 0.3— 0.5 mm, ciliate. Collar thickened, short stiff hairy, occasionally glabrous, margin with hairs 1—1.5 mm long. Auricles 0.3—0.5 mm, clasping, or absent, long (1—2 mm) hairs occasional. Leaf-blade 20—30 cm × 2—4 mm, glaucous, flat, ridged, sometimes involute, abaxially glabrous, occasionally with hairs 1 mm long, adaxially with dense hairs at base; margin prickle-toothed or becoming so, occasionally with hairs 1 mm long below. Culm 50—100 cm, erect, nodes conspicuous black to red brown. Inflorescence 18—25 cm, stiff, of 3—7 widely divergent spikelets; margin sparsely antrorsely toothed or short hairy. Spikelets 30–50 mm, of 6–12 florets occasionally more. Glumes ± equal, 5–10 mm, 3 nerves, acute or becoming shortly awned, margin chartaceous and ciliate. Lemma 10–14 mm, glabrous except for prickle teeth above and on margin below, keeled above, apex occasionally bifid, awn 22–45 mm, ± recurved or straight. Palea 6–13 mm, apex bifid. Rachilla 2–3 mm, short stiff hairy. Callus 0.75 mm, incompletely and shortly bearded. Lodicules 1– 2 .5 mm. Anthers 4–9 mm, usually purple often yellow. Gynoecium: ovary 2 mm; stigma-styles 2–3 mm. Caryopsis 7–10 mm; embryo 1.6–2 mm.

2n = 42

2n = 42

2n = 42

Erect glaucous tussock from a narrow base, with intravaginal branching though sometimes rhizomatous; spikelets widely divergent from rachis, and anthesis occurring after complete spike emergence reveals long purple anthers. Leaf-sheath 7-10 cm, keeled, striate, becoming fibrous, glabrous or occasionally sparsely hairy or pubescent mixed with hairs 1 mm; margins chartaceous. Ligule 0.3-0.5 mm, ciliate. Collar thickened short stiff hairy, occasionally glabrous, margin hairs 1-1.5 mm. Auricles 0.3-0.5 mm, clasping, or absent, long (1-2 mm) hairs occasional. Leaf-blade 20-30 cm × 2-4 mm, glaucous, flat, ribbed, sometimes involute, abaxially glabrous, occasionally with hairs to 1 mm, adaxially densely hairy at base; margin prickle-toothed or becoming so, occasionally with hairs to 1 mm below. Culm 50-100 cm, erect, nodes conspicuous black to red brown, internodes glabrous. Inflorescence 18-25 cm, stiff, of 3-7 widely divergent spikelets; margin sparsely antrorsely toothed or short hairy. Spikelets 30-50 mm, of 6-12 florets occasionally more. Glumes ± equal, 5-10 mm, 3-nerved, acute or becoming shortly awned, margin chartaceous and ciliate. Lemma 10-14 mm, glabrous except for prickle-teeth above and on margin below, keeled above, apex occasionally bifid, awn 22-45 mm, ± recurved or straight. Palea 6-13 mm, apex bifid. Rachilla 2-3 mm, short stiff hairy. Callus 0.75 mm, incompletely and shortly bearded. Lodicules 1-2.5 mm. Anthers 4-9 mm, usually purple often yellow. Gynoecium: ovary 2 mm; stigma-styles 2-3 mm. Caryopsis 7-10 mm; embryo 1.6-2 mm. 2n= 42.

Perennial, sometimes shortly rhizomatous. Culm up to 1 m tall, erect, glaucous, with prominent redbrown to blackish nodes. Sheath striate; auricles short; collar long hairy at margin, densely hairy elsewhere; ligule narrow, sometimes asymmetrical. Lamina glaucous, flat or rolled, up to 3 mm wide, densely short hairy below becoming glabrous above. Spike stiff, with up to 7 broad spikelets widely diverging from rhachis. Spikelets 6-9, occasionally up to 12-flowered. Glumes unequal, up to 8 mm long. Lemma about as long as palea; scabrous awn somewhat recurved, 25-60 mm long. Palea 10-13 m long. Anthers purple, or yellow and purple flecked, 5-9 mm long. Lodicules hairy, 2-2.5 mm long. 2n = 42. Anthesis takes place after complete emergence of the inflorescence.

Gramen erectum, glaucum, E. rectiseto simile differt autem atrorubris vel nigris culmorum nodis, spiculis divaricatissimis, et spicis ante anthesem oranino elongatis.