2n = 42

Fairly robust, lax tufts. Leaf-sheath glabrous, ± striate, mostly deep purple. Ligule c. 0.5 mm, abaxially hairy. Collar rather thick, often hairy. Leaf-blade 15-30 cm × 4-8 mm, tapering, abaxially glabrous, adaxially abundantly hairy on prominent flat-topped ribs; margins toothed. Culm 30-60 cm, internodes glabrous, ridged. Panicles 8-15 cm, very lax and spreading; branches mostly binate at each node, glabrous, naked below, slender, drooping, spikelets few towards tips; pedicels to 10 mm, scabrid to villous above. Glumes subequal, ovate, subacute, membranous, margins wide scarious above, keel prickle-toothed above or glabrous; upper 6-8 mm, 3-nerved. Florets > lower glume, ♂ florets light brown to brown, ☿ floret paler, often golden and glistening at maturity. ♂ florets: lemma 5-6 mm, oblong, subacute, lobes 0.5-1 mm, villous below, scabrid above, margins densely long-ciliate; awns of both florets ± equal, rather stout, column 2-3.5-5 mm twisted, arista 3-4-(5) mm, insertion c. 2 mm above base of lemma; palea c. 4 mm, membranous, apex bifid, keels finely ciliate, interkeel hairy; lodicules 1.2-2.0 mm, ± ovate, acute, irregularly lobed, ciliate; callus hairs to 1 mm; anthers 2.3-3.4 mm. ☿ floret: lemma 3.5-4.5 mm, ovate, long hairs on keel below, finely scabrid and with long hispid golden brown hairs exceeding apex, muticous or subapically mucronate 0-0.5 mm; palea ≈ lemma, ovate-lanceolate, keel short hairy above; lodicules 1-1.8 mm, ciliate; anthers 1.1-2.5 mm; gynoecium: ovary 1 mm, stigma-styles 3.5-6 mm; caryopsis 2-2.5 × 0.75 mm, embryo 0.5 mm, hilum c. 0.75 mm.

Plant perennial, fairly robust, laxly tufted. Culms 30-60 cm tall with 1-4 elongated internodes. 2-3 cataphylls present at base, up to 5 cm long. Leaf sheath 5-20 cm long, glabrous, more or less striated, mostly deep purple. Ligule about 0.5 mm long, rather thick. Collar distinct more or less pulvinate. Leaf blade 15-30 cm long, 4-8 mm wide, tapering, glabrous on abaxial surface, pubescent and deeply striated on adaxial, ridges flat topped. Vascular bundles about 15, fairly uniform. Sclerenchyma discontinuous, bilateral, connected to bundles, somewhat dilated under the ridges. Peduncles longer than uppermost sheath. Panicles 8-15 cm long, very lax, spreading, glabrous. Branches mostly two at each node, bare below, long, slender, drooping. Spikelets few towards ends of branches. Pedicels very short to 10 mm long, scabrid to villous above. Glumes subequal, upper about 7.5 mm long, ovate, subacute, membranous, with wide scarious margins above, more or less glabrous, 3-nerved, middle nerve percurrent, lateral about 0.6 as long. Rachilla very short, sinuous, glabrous. Florets longer than lower glume, male light brown to brown, female paler, often golden and glistening at maturity. Male florets lemmas about 6 mm long, oblong subacute, deeply 2-cleft, scabrid long ciliate margins with brown cilia, villous on back below and callus. Awns of the two florets about equal, about 6 mm long, rather stout, twisted below, exserted from about 2 mm above base of lemmas. Paleas about as long as lemmas, wide membranous finely ciliate on keels. Lodicules about 1 mm long more or less ovate, acute, irregularly 1-2 lobed. Anthers about 2.5 mm long. Female floret about 5 mm long, ovate, smooth and shiny, finely scabrous and with long golden-brown hairs at the tip, muticous or minutely mucronate subapically. Pake about equalling lemma, ovate-lanceolate.

Planta perennis, moderate robusta, laxe caespitosa. Culmi 30-60 cm alti cum internodiis 3-4 elongatis, cataphylla 2-3 ad 5 cm longa ad basim gerentes. Folii vagina 5-20 cm longa, glabra, plus minusve striata, plerumque atropurpurea. Ligula circa 0.5 mm longa, crassiuscula. Collum distinctum plus minusve pulvinatum. Lamina 15-30 cm longa, 4—8 mm lata, angustata, in abaxiali pagina glabra, in adaxiali pagina pubescens at alte striata; juga plana supra. Fasciculi vasculares circa 15, satis uniformes. Sclerenchyma interruptum, bilaterale, ad fasciculos junctum, aliquantum sub jugis dilatatum. Pedunculi vaginas supremas superantes. Paniculae 8-15 cm longae, laxissimae, effusae, glabrae. Rami plerumque 2 in quoque nodo, infra nudi, longi, graciles, demissi. Spiculae paucae ad apices ramorum. Pedicelli brevissimi ad 10 mm longi, scabridi vel supra villosi. Glumae subaequales, superior circa 7.5 mm longa, ovata, subacuta, membranacea, supra marginibus latis scariosis, plus minusve glabra, 3-nervis, medius nervus percurrens, lateralis nervus medio circa tertia parte brevior. Rachilla brevissima, sinuosa, glabra. Flosculi glumam inferiorem superantes; masculi pallide brunnei vel brunnei, feminei pallidiores, saepe aurei et ad maturitatem lucentes. Lemmata nosculorum masculorum circa 6 mm longa, oblonga, subacuta, alte bifida, marginibus scabridis longe-ciliatis, ciliis brunneis, in tergo infra et in callo villosa. Aristae duorum nosculorum subaequales, circa 6 mm longae, robustiores, infra contortae, circa 2 mm supra lemmatis basin exsertae. Paleae plus minusve lemmata aequantes, latae, membranaceae, subtiliter ciliatae in carinis. Lodiculae circa 1 mm longae, plus minusve ovatae, acutae, irregulariter 1-2-lobatae. Antherae circa 2.5 mm longae. Flosculus femineus circa 5 mm longus, ovatus, laevis nitidusque, subtiliter scabridus et pilis longis fulvis ad apicem indutus, subapicale muticus vel minute mucronatus. Palea lemma plus minusve aequans, ovato-lanceolata.