Tall, stout tussock with fracturing sheaths and long, broad, drooping, deciduous leaves which form a dense litter. Sheath glabrous or internerves or margins hairy, keeled, pale or purpled, fracturing into short segments, tuft of hairs at apex to 1 mm. Ligule to 1 mm. Lamina flat or shallowly U-shaped, glaucous, falling with part of sheath, abaxially glabrous but sometimes with some long hairs, adaxially with prickle teeth or papillae; margin with long hairs below becoming glabrous or infrequently scabrous. Culm to 1.5 m, internodes glabrous or very infrequently long hairy. Inflorescence to 30 cm, spikelets dense on stiff, pulvinate branches. Spikelets of up to 8 purpled florets. Glumes glabrous, acute but sometimes shortly awned, > adjacent lemma lobes; lower to 14 mm, 1-3-nerved, upper to 18 mm, 3-5- 7-nerved. Lemma to 6 mm; hairs dense on margin and in internerves, < sinus; lateral lobes to 6 mm including awn to 3 mm often long triangular-acute; central awn to 16 mm from twisting column to 4 mm. Palea to 10 mm. Callus to 1 mm, hairs to 4 mm. Rachilla to 1 mm. Lodicules to 1.5 mm. Gynoecium: ovary to 1 mm, stigma-styles to 3 mm. Caryopsis to 3.5 mm.

n = 21

Tall, stout tussock with fracturing sheaths and long, broad, drooping, deciduous leaves which form a dense litter. Leaf-sheath glabrous or internerves or margins hairy, keeled, pale or purpled, fracturing into short segments, apical tuft of hairs to 1 mm. Ligule to 1 mm. Leaf-blade flat or shallowly U-shaped, glaucous, falling with part of sheath, abaxially glabrous but sometimes with some long hairs, adaxially with prickle-teeth or papillae; margin with long hairs below becoming glabrous or infrequently scabrid. Culm to 1.5 m, internodes glabrous or very infrequently long hairy. Inflorescence to 30 cm, spikelets dense on stiff, pulvinate branches. Spikelets of up to 8 purpled florets. Glumes glabrous, acute but sometimes shortly awned, &gt; adjacent lemma lobes; lower to 14 mm, 1-3-nerved, upper to 18 mm, 3-5-7-nerved. Lemma to 6 mm; hairs dense on margin and in internerves, &lt; sinus; lateral lobes to 6 mm including awn to 3 mm often long triangular-acute; central awn to 16 mm from twisting column to 4 mm. Palea to 10 mm. Callus to 1 mm, hairs to 4 mm. Rachilla to 1 mm. Lodicules to 1.5 mm. Gynoecium: ovary to 1 mm; stigma-styles to 3 mm. Caryopsis to 3.5 mm. 2n= 42.

Plant 80-150 cm tall; basal leaf sheath yellow to orange coloured, indurated, flattening, coiling inwards and repeatedly breaking transversely on drying; leaf blade 50—100 cm long, c. 10 mm wide, ± flat, tapering, margins rather thick, adaxial surface glabrous; abaxial sclerenchyma ± continuous, silica cells ± round; panicle rather large, lax, branches barren in lower parts; spikelets 4-6-flowered; lemma hairy on back; awn basal part flattened and twisted.

Gramen 80-150 cm altum; infimi folii vagina citrina vel lutea, indurata, siccitate sensim complanata, introrsum convoluta et saepissime transverse fracta; lamina 50-100 cm longa, c. 10 mm lata, ± plana, attenuata, marginibus crassioribus, superficie adaxiali glabra; schlerenchyma abaxiale ± continuum; cellulae siliceae rotundae; panicula maior, laxa, ramuli infra steriles; spiculae 4—6-florae; lemma dorso pilosum; arista infra complanata tortaque.