Laxly tufted, ± robust. Leaf-sheath ± striate, glabrous. Ligule 1-2 mm, long ciliate, abaxially hairy, chartaceous, scarious. Collar thick, glabrous. Leaf-blade 20-40 cm × 6-12 mm, tapered, abaxially glabrous, adaxially prickle-toothed on prominent rounded ribs; margins finely toothed. Culm 30-60 cm, internodes glabrous. Panicle 10-20 cm, lax, spreading; branches 1-2 at each node, naked below, glabrous, ± slender and often drooping, spikelets few towards tip; pedicels to 10 mm, scabrid to villous above. Glumes subequal, ovate, acute, membranous, scarious, glabrous, 3-nerved; upper glume 6-7.5 mm. Florets included by glumes, ± glistening coppery at maturity. ♂ florets: lemma 4-6.5 mm, lobes 0.5-1 mm, erose, tip scarious, scabrid, appressed long hairs on keel to sinus, margins densely long-ciliate; awns 2-6 mm, slender, ± straight, insertion c. 1 mm below apex; palea 3-4 mm, membranous, keels ciliate; lodicules c. 1 mm, ± ovate, acute, irregularly 1-2-lobed, glabrous; anthers (1)-1.5 mm. ☿ floret: lemma 3-3.5 mm, ovate, glabrous and shining, apex with conspicuous long hispid hairs; mucro slender, 0.6-1.5 mm, subapical, ≈ hairs; palea ≈ lemma, ovate-lanceolate, apex pointed ciliate, keel ciliate above; lodicules 0.6-1 mm, glabrous; anthers 0.9-1.6 mm; gynoecium: ovary c. 1 mm, stigma-styles c. 3.5 mm; caryopsis 1.5-1.8 × 0.7 -0.9 mm, shortly beaked, embryo 0.5 mm, hilum c. 0.5 mm.

Plant perennial, more or less robust, laxly tufted. Culms 30-60 cm tall, with 3-4 internodes elongating, glabrous. 2-3 cataphylls present at base, up to 5 cm or more long. Leaf sheath 5-20 cm long, more or less striated, glabrous. Ligule 1-2 mm long, chartaceous. scarious. Collar distinct, somewhat pulvinate. Leaf blade 20-40 cm long, 6-12 mm wide, flat, tapering glabrous on abaxial side, finely scabrid on rounded ridges on adaxial side. Vascular bundles about 30. fairly uniform. Sclerenchyma discontinuous, bilateral, connected to bundles, somewhat dilated under the ridges. Peduncles much longer than uppermost sheath. Panicles 10-20 cm long lax, spreading, glabrous. Branches 1-2 at each node, bare below, glabrous, more or less slender often drooping. Spikelets few towards ends of branches. Pedicels very short to 10 mm long scabrid to villous above. Glumes subequal, upper about 7.5 mm long, ovate, acute, membranous, scarious, glabrous, 3-nerved, middle nerve percurrent, lateral about 2 mm long. Rachilla very short, sinuous, glabrous. Florets included within glumes, more or less glistening coppery at maturity. Male florets lemmas about 6 mm long, erose and scarious tipped, scabrid, long ciliate margins with brown cilia, villous along back and callus. Awns slender more or less straight, 3-6 mm long, exserted from about 1.5 mm below apex. Paleas about as long as lemmas, wide, membranous, ciliate on keels. Lodicules about 1 mm long, more or less ovate, acute, irregularly 1-, 2-lobed. Anthers about 2 mm long. Female floret about 3.5 mm long, ovate, smooth and shiny below tip, tip scabrous and with broad patch of long brown hairs. Mucro slender, subapical, about as long as hairs. Palea about equalling lemma, ovate, lanceolate.

Planta perennis, plus minusve robusta, laxe caespitosa. Rhizomata brevia, supra solum emergentia nullis factis ramis. Culmi 30-60 cm alti, cum internodiis 3-4 elongantibus, glabri, cataphylla 2-3, ad 5 cm vel plus longa ad basim gerentes. Folii vagina 5-20 cm longa, plus minusve striata, glabra. Ligula 1-2 mm longa, chartacea, scariosa. Collum distinctum, aliquantum pulvinatum. Lamina 20-40 cm longa, 6-12 mm lata, plana, angustata, in abaxiali pagina glabra, in adaxiali pagina subtiliter scabrida in rotundatis jugis. Fasciculi vasculares circa 30, satis uniformes. Sclerenchyma interruptum, bilaterale, ad fasciculos junctum, aliquantum sub jugis dilatatum. Pedunculi vaginam supremam multo superantes. Paniculae 10-20 cm longae, laxae, effusae, glabrae. Rami 1-2 in quoque nodo, infra nudi, glabri, plus minusve graciles, saepe demissi. Spiculae paucae ad apices ramorum. Pedicelli brevissimi vel ad 10 cm longi, scabridi vel supra villosi. Glumae subaequales, superior circa 7.5 mm longa, ovata, acuta, membranacea, scariosa, glabra, 3-nervis, nervus medius percurrens, nervus lateralis circa 2 mm longus. Rachilla brevissima, sinuosa, glabra. Flosculi intra glumas inclusi, plus minusve nitidi cuprei ad maturitatem. Lemmata flosculorum masculorum circa 6 mm longa, erosa, ad apicem scariosa, scabrida, marginibus longe ciliatis ciliis brunneis, tergum secus et in callo villosa. Aristae graciles plus minusve rectae, 3-6 mm longae, circa 1.5 mm infra apicem exsertae. Paleae plus minusve lemmata aequantes, latae, membranaceae, in carinis ciliatae. Lodiculae circa 1 mm longae, plus minusve ovatae. acutae, irregulariter 1-2-lobatae. Antherae circa 2 mm longae. Flosculus femineus circa 3.5 mm longus, ovatus, infra apicem laevis nitidusque; apex scabridus pilis longis brunneis late cristatus. Mucro gracilis, subapicalis, pilos plus minusve aequans. Palea lemma plus minusve aequans, ovata, lanceolata.