Tufts about 50 cm with stiff, wiry, divergent culms each branched from upper glabrous, swollen nodes; branching extravaginal, cataphylls cream, shining. Leaf-sheath striate, finely scabrid, purplish, terminating in fine twisting hairs, c. 2 mm. Ligule c. 0.4 mm, membranous, shortly ciliate. Leaf-blade 6-16 cm ×c. 1 mm, involute, abaxially glabrous, adaxially densely toothed with some longer hairs. Culm rigid, cane-like, branches above subtended by loose sheaths, internodes finely scabrid. Panicle 8-12 cm, narrow, spike-like or ± loose; branches ± erect or sometimes slightly spreading, branches and pedicels scabrid. Spikelets 9-15 mm. Glumes unequal, < lemma, keeled, 1-nerved, acuminate to shortly (2 mm) awned; lower glume 5-7 mm extensively prickle-toothed, upper 7-9 mm ± glabrous. Lemma 4.5-8.5 mm, narrow-linear, convolute, purple-mottled, smooth but scabrid on midnerve above, tipped by 3 spreading straight awns 6-15 mm, lacking columns. Callus c. 1 mm, densely short-hairy. Palea 2 mm, < lemma. Lodicules 2, c. 2 mm, nerved, glabrous, dentate. Stamens 3, anthers 1.3-1.5 mm, shortly tailed. Gynoecium: ovary 1 mm; stigma-styles 2 mm. Caryopsis not seen. Fig. 18.