Tussock of variable stature, some robust with long leaves, others slender with shorter, narrow leaves; culm internodes hairy; leaves stiff, scabrous, deciduous. Sheaths to 25 cm, fracturing into short segments, shining light brown at base, long (4 mm) and short deciduous internerve hairs above, margin long hairy above, tuft of hairs at apex to 4 mm. Ligule to 0.8 mm. Lamina to 75 cm × 1.3 mm diam., acicular junceous, midrib evident, falling with part of sheath, abaxially with long hairs aside keel below becoming very scabrid above, adaxially with weft of long hairs at base, abundant prickle teeth and papillae above; margin thick, below with long hairs (up to 4 mm) interlocking across lamina, scabrid above. Culm to 65 cm; lower internodes densely hairy, less so above, hairy below inflorescence. Inflorescence to 20 cm, narrow and strict, very scabrid and with a few long hairs at branch axils and below spikelets. Spikelets of up to 6 lightly purpled florets. Glumes acute or shortly awned, scabrous above, ≤ adjacent lemma lobes; lower to 11 mm, 3-nerved, upper to 13 mm, 5-7-nerved. Lemma to 5.5 mm; hairs dense at margin and aside central nerve, often in all internerves or sometimes few or absent, ≥ sinus; lateral lobes to 4.5 mm including awn to 2 mm, or acute, scabrous above; central awn toll mm from 2.5 mm twisting column. Palea to 8 mm. Rachilla to 1 mm, very occasionally short hairy. Callus to 1 mm, hairs to 4 mm. Lodicules to 1 mm. Anthers to 3.5 mm. Gynoecium: ovary to 1 mm, stigma-styles to 3.5 mm. Caryopsis to 3.5 mm.

2n = 42

Tussocks of variable stature, some robust with long leaves, others slender with shorter, narrow leaves; culm internodes hairy; leaves stiff, scabrid, deciduous. Leaf-sheath to 25 cm, fracturing into short segments, shining light brown at base, long (4 mm) and short deciduous interrib hairs above, margin long hairy above, apical tuft of hairs to 4 mm. Ligule to 0.8 mm. Leaf-blade to 75 cm × 1.3 mm diam., acicular junceous, midrib evident, falling with part of sheath, abaxially with long hairs aside midrib below becoming very scabrid above, adaxially with weft of long hairs at base, abundant prickle-teeth and papillae above; margin thick, below with long (up to 4 mm) hairs interlocking across leaf-blade, scabrid above. Culm to 65 cm; lower internodes densely hairy, less so above, hairy below inflorescence. Inflorescence to 20 cm, narrow and strict, very scabrid and with a few long hairs at branch axils and below spikelets. Spikelets of up to 6 lightly purpled florets. Glumes acute or shortly awned, scabrid above, ≤ adjacent lemma lobes; lower to 11 mm, 3-nerved, upper to 13 mm, 5-7-nerved. Lemma to 5.5 mm; hairs dense at margin and aside central nerve, often in all internerves or sometimes few or absent, ≥ sinus; lateral lobes to 4.5 mm including awn to 2 mm, or acute, scabrid above; central awn to 11 mm from 2.5 mm twisting column. Palea to 8 mm. Callus to 1 mm, hairs to 4 mm. Rachilla to 1 mm, very occasionally short hairy. Lodicules to 1 mm. Anthers to 3.5 mm. Gynoecium: ovary to 1 mm; stigma-styles to 3.5 mm. Caryopsis to 3.5 mm.