Grass related to D. billardieri (R.Br.) Kunth. Culms caespitose, erect to decumbent at base, leafy, 15-30 cm long. Leaf blade erect-spreading 5-10 cm long. somewhat involute to subulate, glabrous, green, 5-9 costate on adaxial side. Leaf sheath 3-10 cm long, cylindrical, uppermost sheath elongated ± turgid, pale green. Ligule 1-3 mm long, subacute, membranous. Panicle 6-12 cm long, sparsely branched, effuse, base included in sheath; branchlets capillary, somewhat scabrid. Pedicells 2-15 mm long, incrassate above, scabrid. Spikelets one-flowered, rachilla produced beyond floret, l1.5 mm long, plumose. Glumes c. 4 mm long, lanceolate, very acute, keeled, keels scabrid. Lemma 2.5 mm long, 5-nerved, middle nerve produced into awn from below the middle of lemma, ovate-lanceolate, sharply 4-dentate, somewhat indurate, scabrid, short hairy on callus. Awn c. 5 mm long, slender, geniculate, scabrid. Palea 2 mm long, oblong, bifid. Stamens 3. Ovary glabrous; styles 2, plumose. Caryopsis free, 2 mm long, oblong to ± fusiform, hard light brown, translucent.

Gramen D. billardieri (R.Br.) Kunth affinis. Culmi caespitosi, erecti vel basi decumbentes, foliosi, 15-30 cm longi. Foliorum laminae erecto-patentes 5-10 cm longae, paulo involutiores vel subulatiores, galbrae, 5-9 costatae in adaxali latere, virides. Vaginae 3-10 cm longae, cylindratae, vaginae summae elongatae, plus minusve turgidae, pallide virides. Ligula subacuta, scariosa, 1-3 mm longa. Panicula 6-12 cm longa, parce ramosa, effuse, paniculae basis in superiore vagina inclusa; ramuli capillares, paulo scabridiores. Pedicelli 2-15 mm longi, supreme incrassati, scabridi. Rachilla praeter flosculum producta, 1.5 mm longa, plumosa. Glumae c. 4 mm longae, lanceolatae, acutissimae, carinatae, carinae scabridae. Lemma 2.5 mm longum, 5-nerve, medio nervo in aristam producto ex inferiore parte lemmatis, ovato-Ianceolatum, acutissimum, quadridentatum, paulo induratius, scabridum; callus brevibus pilis. Arista c. 5 mm longa, gracilis, geniculata, scabrida. Palea 2 mm longa, oblonga, bifida. Stamina 3. Ovarium glabrum; styli 2 plumosi. Caryopsis libera, 2 mm longa, oblong vel ± fusiformis, dura, paelide fusca, translucida.