Slender tussock with stramineous, hairy sheaths. Sheath to 10 cm, hairy, entire, margins often undulating, apical tuft to 3.5 mm. Ligule to 0.5 mm. Lamina to 30 cm × 2.5 mm, flat or ± U-V-shaped, keeled, twisting above, disarticulating at ligule, abaxially prickle-toothed above, adaxially with prickle teeth; margin with long hairs below, becoming prickle-toothed or rarely becoming smooth. Culm to 60 cm, slender, intemodes glabrous. Inflorescence to 13 cm, glabrous except for long hairs at branch axils. Spikelets golden and purple, of up to 8 florets. Glumes usually > nearest lemma lobes; lower to 10 mm, 1-3-5-nerved, upper to 11 mm, 3-5-7- nerved. Lemma to 5.5 mm; hairs dense on margin and aside central nerve, sparse or absent elsewhere; lateral lobes to 4 mm, shortly awned or triangularacute; central awn to 7 mm from a flat, rarely twisting, column to 2 mm. Palea to 7 mm. Callus to 1 mm, hairs to 2.5 mm. Rachilla to 1 mm. Lodicules to 1 mm. Anthers to 3.5 mm. Gynoecium: ovary to 1 mm, stigma-styles to 2 mm. Caryopsis to 2 mm.

A C. pallenti Zotov facie gracili, laminis angustis, pilis sparsis inter nervos lemmatis, columna complanata aristae diagnoscenda.

2n = 42

Slender tussock with stramineous, hairy sheaths. Leaf-sheath to 10 cm, hairy, entire, margins often undulating, apical tuft of hairs to 3.5 mm. Ligule to 0.5 mm. Leaf-blade to 30 cm × 2.5 mm, flat or ± U-V-shaped, keeled, twisting above, disarticulating at ligule, abaxially prickle-toothed above, adaxially with prickle-teeth; margin with long hairs below, becoming prickle-toothed or rarely becoming smooth. Culm to 60 cm, slender, internodes glabrous. Inflorescence to 13 cm, glabrous except for long hairs at branch axils. Spikelets golden and purple, of up to 8 florets. Glumes usually > nearest lemma lobes; lower to 10 mm, 1-3-5-nerved, upper to 11 mm, 3-5-7-nerved. Lemma to 5.5 mm; hairs dense on margin and aside central nerve, sparse or absent elsewhere; lateral lobes to 4 mm, shortly awned or triangular-acute; central awn to 7 mm from a flat, rarely twisting, column to 2 mm. Palea to 7 mm. Callus to 1 mm, hairs to 2.5 mm. Rachilla to 1 mm. Lodicules to 1 mm. Anthers to 3.5 mm. Gynoecium: ovary to 1 mm; stigma-styles to 2 mm. Caryopsis to 2 mm.