Caespitose perennial with shoots swollen and white at base, and open ± purple panicle, branching intravaginal. Leaf-sheath to 5 cm, scabrid near ligule and on upper margins, becoming glabrous below. Ligule to 1.5 mm, decurrent, symmetrical or asymmetrical, rounded or apiculate, short-hairy or scabrid. Leaf-blade to 35 cm × 0.5 mm diam., inrolled appearing terete, very stiff, acicular, abaxially markedly antrorsely scabrid, adaxially clothed in short dense hairs; margins smooth. Culm to 70 cm, glabrous except for hairs above and below nodes. Panicle to 25 cm, open, much-branched, drooping, at maturity readily detaching with culm and blowing freely; rachis, branches and pedicels scabrid. Glumes ± equal, 5-8 mm, deeply purple-suffused, 3-nerved, produced into awn c. 2 mm, nerves and margins stiff hairy. Lemma to 2.5 mm, 5-nerved, gibbous, tubercular-scabrid except on margin, lobes short, apiculate; coma present; awn tardily caducous to 35 mm, weakly 1-geniculate, short stiff hairy, column loosely twisted, to 15 mm, arista to 20 mm. Palea c. 1 mm, completely enclosed by lemma, glabrous, hyaline, weakly bifid at apex. Callus to 0.3 mm, blunt, hairs to 1.5 mm. Lodicules 2, to 1 mm in chasmogamous flowers, to 0.6 mm in cleistogamous flowers. Anthers penicillate, in chasmogamous flowers to 2 mm; in cleistogamous flowers 1 fertile anther to 0.7 mm, and 2 aborted anthers to 0.3 mm. Plate 3D.

Caespitose perennial with shoots swollen and white at base, and open ± purple panicle, branching intravaginal. Sheath to 5 cm, scabrous near ligule and on upper margins, becoming glabrous below. Ligule to 1.5 mm, decurrent, symmetrical or asymmetrical, rounded or apiculate, short-hairy or scabrous. Lamina to 35 cm × 0.5 mm diam., inrolled appearing terete, very stiff, acicular, abaxially markedly antrorsely scabrous, adaxially clothed in short dense hairs, margins smooth. Culms to 70 cm, glabrous except for hairs above and below nodes. Inflorescence to 25 cm, open, much-branched, drooping, at maturity readily detaching with culm and blowing freely; rachis, branches and pedicels scabrous. Glumes ± equal, 5-8 mm, deeply purplesuffused, 3-nerved, produced into awn c. 2 mm, nerves and margins with stiff hairs. Lemma to 2.5 mm, 5-nerved, gibbous, tubercular-scabrous except on margin, lobes short, apiculate; coma present; awn tardily caducous to 35 mm, weakly 1- geniculate, short stiff hairs present, column loosely twisted, to 15 mm, arista to 20 mm. Palea c. 1 mm, completely enclosed by lemma, glabrous, nerveless, hyaline, weakly bifid at apex. Callus to 0.3 mm, blunt, hairs to 1.5 mm. Lodicules 2, to 1 mm in chasmogamous flowers, to 0.6 mm in cleistogamous flowers. Anthers penicillate, in chasmogamous flowers to 2 mm; in cleistogamous flowers 1 fertile anther to 0.7 mm, and 2 aborted anthers to 0.3 mm.