Tall, junceous, red tussock with swollen bases from rootstock clothed in old leaf sheaths, leaves persistent, ultimately falling below sheath with one fracture. Sheaths to 15 cm, very dark brown, entire, persistent, internerves hairy but often appearing glabrous, margin long hairy above, tuft of hairs at apex to 4 mm. Ligule to 0.5 mm. Lamina to 70 cm × 1 mm diam., acicular junceous, finally falling with top part of sheath, abaxially glabrous sometimes with long hairs below aside prominent, shining, hollow keel, becoming glabrous, adaxially with weft of long hairs at base, prickle teeth above; margin with long hairs below glabrous above. Culm to 90 cm, intemodes glabrous. Inflorescence to 20 cm, open, spikelets on long, pulvinate, flexuous branches; rachis and branches sparsely short hairy below becoming glabrous except for few hairs at axils and below spikelets. Spikelets of up to 6 purpled florets. Glumes glabrous, < adjacent lemma lobes; lower to 11 mm, 3-nerved, upper to 12 mm, 5-nerved. Lemma to 5.5 mm; hairs dense on margin very few aside central nerve, glabrous elsewhere, < sinus; lateral lobes to 4 mm, including awn up to 2.5 mm; central awn up to 10 mm, reflexed from 1 mm flat column. Palea to 6 mm. Callus to 1 mm, hairs to 3 mm. Rachilla to 0.8 mm. Lodicules to 0.5 mm. Anthers to 3.5 mm. Gynoecium: ovary to 0.5 mm, stigma-styles to 2 mm. Caryopsis to 2 mm.

2n = 42

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Leaves junceous; sheath somewhat indurated, straight, ± brown, remaining straight on drying; blade up to 60 cm long, c. 1 mm diameter, very rigid, pungent, tinted reddish brown; abaxial sclerenchyma continuous; silica cells ± round; inflorescence rather small, lax, branches and pedicels ± smooth, spikelets 4-6 - flowered; lemmas sparsely hairy on back, lobes acute scarcely subulate; awn base flattened and twisted.

Folia juncea; vagina paullo indurata, recta, ± brunnea, siccitate rigida; lamina usque ad 60 cm longa, c. 1 mm diametro, perrigida, pungens, rubro-brunnea; sclerenchyma abaxiale continuum; siliceae cellulae ± rotundae ; inflorescentia parvula, laxa; ramuli pedicellique ± laeves; spiculae 4—6 - florae; lemmata dorso sparse pilosa, lobis acutis paene subulatis; arista infra complanata tortaque.