Loosely tufted, erect, perennial, branching at nodes, from short creeping rhizomes; branching extravaginal; cataphylls densely hairy. Leaf-sheath firmly membranous, smooth, sometimes terminating in a tuft of minute hairs. Ligule to 1.5 mm, truncate, entire. Leaf-blade to 40 cm × 5.5 mm, flat or involute, abaxially smooth, but scaberulous towards filiform tip and on margins, adaxially finely scabrid and with scattered soft hairs. Culm to 130 cm, wiry, glabrous. Panicle to 60 cm, lax; branches capillary, ascending to spreading, in dense distant whorls, rachis smooth, branches and pedicels scaberulous. Glumes subequal, 3-4 mm, 3-nerved, acute, often purple; lower slightly keeled and scabrid near tip. Lemma to 2.5 mm, 3-nerved, firmly membranous, smooth, shallowly lobed at apex; awn to 4.5 mm, straight, caducous. Palea ≈ lemma, 2-nerved, glabrous. Callus minute, blunt, glabrous. Lodicules 3. Anthers to 1.7 mm, penicillate.

Loosely tufted, erect, perennial, branching at nodes, from short creeping rhizomes; branchingextravaginal, cataphylls densely hairy. Sheath firmly membranous, smooth, sometimes terminating in a tuft of minute hairs. Ligule to 1.5 mm, truncate, entire. Lamina to40 cm × 5.5 mm, flator involute, abaxially smooth, but scaberulous towards filiform tip and on margins, adaxially finely scabrous and with scattered soft hairs. Culms to 130 cm, wiry, smooth. Inflorescence to 60 cm, lax; branches capillary, ascending to spreading, in dense distant whorls, rachis smooth, branches andpedicels scaberulous. Glumes subequal, 3-4 mm, 3-nerved, acute, often purple; lower slightly keeled and scabrous near tip. Lemma to 2.5 mm, 3- nerved, firmly membranous, smooth, shallowly lobed at apex; awn to 4.5 mm, straight, caducous. Palea ± = lemma. Callus minute, blunt, glabrous. Lodicules 3. Anthers penicillate, to 1.7 mm. Chasmogamous.