Elegant, tall, scabrid tussock of many flabellate sectors with drooping leaves tardily deciduous and much shorter than flowering culms; new shoots extravaginal and with numerous cataphylls. Sheaths to 20 cm, persistent, entire, becoming fibrous, strongly keeled and compressed, very dark brown below, straw above, tuft of hairs at apex to 2 mm. Ligule to 1.5 mm. Lamina to 75 cm × 7 mm, folded and strongly keeled, tardily disarticulating at ligule, many distinct nerves; abaxially becoming very scabrid above with many rows of prickle teeth, adaxially glabrous or with weft of long hairs at base or with interlocking long hairs near margin becoming sparser and glabrous above; margin with long hairs below, becoming strongly scabrid. Culm to 2 m; nodes dark, conspicuous and severely constricted; internodes glabrous, compressed. Inflorescence to 35 cm, open, rachis smooth below becoming shortly stiff hairy on branches and pedicels, some long hairs at branch axils. Spikelets of up to 7 florets. Glumes to 9 mm, apex ciliate acute or shortly (1 mm) awned, sometimes bilobed, < adjacent lemma lobes, margin of upper or both often with long hairs below. Lemma to 6.5 mm, scabrid; hairs long at margin absent elsewhere or very occasional, < sinus; central awn to 12 mm reflexed from flat column to 1 mm. Palea to 7.5 mm. Rachilla to 0.75 mm, shortly stiff hairy or glabrous. Callus to 1.5 mm, hairs to 4 mm. Lodicules to 2 mm. Gynoeciurn: ovary to 1 mm, stigma-styles to 2.5 mm. Caryopsis to 3 mm.

Elegant, tall, scabrid tussock of many flabellate sectors with drooping leaves tardily deciduous and much shorter than flowering culms; branching extravaginal with numerous cataphylls. Leaf-sheath to 20 cm, persistent, entire, becoming fibrous, strongly keeled and compressed, very dark brown below, straw above, apical tuft of hairs to 2 mm. Ligule to 1.5 mm. Leaf-blade to 75 cm × 7 mm, folded and strongly keeled, tardily disarticulating at ligule, many distinct ribs; abaxially becoming very scabrid above with many rows of prickle-teeth, adaxially glabrous or with weft of long hairs at base or with interlocking long hairs near margin becoming sparser and glabrous above; margin with long hairs below, becoming strongly scabrid. Culm to 2 m; nodes dark, conspicuous and severely constricted; internodes glabrous, com-pressed. Inflorescence to 35 cm, open, rachis smooth below becoming shortly stiff hairy on branches and pedicels, some long hairs at branch axils. Spikelets of up to 7 florets. Glumes to 9 mm, apex ciliate acute or shortly (1 mm) awned, sometimes bilobed, &lt; adjacent lemma lobes, margin of upper or both often with long hairs below. Lemma to 6.5 mm, scabrid; hairs long at margin absent elsewhere or very occasional, &lt; sinus; central awn to 12 mm reflexed from flat column to 1 mm. Palea to 7.5 mm. Callus to 1.5 mm, hairs to 4 mm. Rachilla to 0.75 mm, shortly stiff hairy or glabrous. Lodicules to 2 mm. Gynoecium: ovary to 1 mm; stigma-styles to 2.5 mm. Caryopsis to 3 mm. 2n= 42.