Tall, erect, wiry, open perennial tussock shoots slightly swollen at base; branching extravaginal, cataphylls glabrous shining. Sheath to 5 cm, with scattered retrorse long hairs, terminating in a small tuft of hairs to 1 mm. Ligule to 0.5 mm, apex shortly ciliate. Lamina to 35 cm × 1 mm diam., usually inrolled, nerves few, abaxially finely antrorsely scabrous especially near margins, some few stiff long hairs towards base, adaxially with abundant long (0.5 mm) and short hairs, margins with long hairs at base becoming scabrid with small prickle teeth above. Culms to 1 m, stout, nodes darkretrorsely pubescent, internodes pilose below nodes elsewhere smooth and shining, sheath with abaxial ligule. Inflorescence to 35 cm loosely contracted, subtended by hairy bract to 1 mm, rachis smooth becoming scabrous towards apex, branches and pedicels with short stiff hairs. Glumes subequal, nerves conspicuously raised, straw coloured, scabrous, internerves purple-suffused, margins with short hairs, tips membranous and erase, < awn column, lower to 12 mm, 3-nerved, much shorter than awn column, upper to 11 mm, 5-nerved. Lemma to 6.5 mm, very dark brown at maturity, tubercular scabrous, hairy below glabrous above, lobes absent; coma absent; awn to 50 mm, 2-geniculate, column with short hairs, tightly twisted below less so above to 30 mm, arista to 20 mm. Palea weakly 2-nerved, internerve hairy sometimes slightly so, apex glabrous. Callus to 1.5 mm, golden hairs to 2 mm. Lodicules 2, ligulate, to 1.75 mm. Anthers in cleistogamous flowers, 2 small (0.5 mm) other to 1.1 mm.