Stiff, perennial tufts, 20-80 cm, with convolute or flat leaves overtopped by narrow, olive-green spiciform panicles; branching intravaginal. Leaf-sheath very light green to creamy brown, subcoriaceous or somewhat chartaceous, glabrous, margins often short-ciliate below ligule. Ligule 0.2-0.5 mm. Collar hairs to 1 mm. Leaf-blade 10-25 cm × 0.8-2 mm diam., inrolled, or flat and up to 5 mm wide, abaxially glabrous, adaxially scabrid on ribs; margins finely scabrid, long-tapered to fine tip. Culm 15-50 cm, internodes glabrous. Panicle 8.5-22 cm × 4-8 mm, ± continuous but with some ± distant, appressed branches, up to 2 cm, near base; rachis ± smooth, branches sparsely scabrid, bearing densely crowded spikelets. Spikelets 2.2-3 mm, leaden green. Glumes unequal, < lemma; lower 0.7-1 mm, nerveless, elliptic, obtuse, upper 1.4-1.7 mm, 1-nerved, lanceolate, subacute. Lemma = spikelet, faintly 3-nerved, ovate-elliptic, acute. Palea ≤ lemma, apex narrowly truncate. Stamens 3; anthers 0.7-1.2 mm, often purplish. Caryopsis 1-1.3 × 0.6-0.7 mm, ellipsoid, truncate.