Densely tufted, fine-leaved, perennial tussock with many innovation shoots; branching intravaginal. Sheath to 2 cm, with abundant retrorse short hairs, terminating in tuft of hairs to 1.5 mm subtending auricular lobes; auricular lobes symmetrical or asymmetrical to 0.5 mm. Ligule to 1.5 mm, shortly ciliate. Lamina to 30 cm × 0.5 mm diam., inrolled, weakly acicular, abaxially very scabrous from short (0.25 mm) antrorse hairs and prickle teeth in columns between nerves, adaxially with abundant short hairs, margins with antrorse prickle teeth. Culms to 50 cm, pubescent below nodes otherwise glabrous. Inflorescence to 30 cm, sometimes subtended by long hairs or a bract; rachis, branches and pedicels with shortstiff hairs. Glumes subequal, purple below, tapering to hyaline awn-like processes, scabrous with small prickle teeth; > awn column; lower to 15 mm, 3-nerved, upper to 12 mm, 3-5-nerved. Lemma to 5 mm, clothed in white appressed hairs, less so above and becoming scabrous, lobes minute (0.25 mm); coma a few short hairs; awn to 65 mm, exceedingly falcate, ± 1-geniculate, column tighdy twisted, and with short hairs, to 10-15 mm, arista to 50 mm. Palea with long internerve hairs, apex glabrous. Callus to 1.5 mm, hairs to 2 mm. Lodicules 3, to 2 mm, ligulate. Anthers to 1.5 mm in cleistogamous, and to 3.5 mm in chasmogamous florets, penicillate.