Habit. Perennial. Rhizomes present, short. Culms erect or decumbent, 30–90 cm tall. Lateral branches branched. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 8–30 cm long, 4–5 mm wide. Inflorescence. Inflorescence solid, a raceme (spicate). Racemes 1–2, straight or arcuate, 5–30 cm long, 5–13 mm wide. Spikelets. Spikelets sessile. Fertile spikelets many flowered, with at least 2 fertile florets (2–6), comprising 2–6 fertile floret(s), with diminished florets at the apex, oblong, laterally compressed, 7–18 mm long. Glumes. Glumes dissimilar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate, scarious, keeled, 1-keeled, 1–3(–7) -nerved. Upper glume ovate, 6.5–13 mm long, scarious, without keels, 7–13 -nerved. Florets. Fertile lemma 2–4 mm long, without keel, 3 -nerved (in the body). Lemma surface indumented. Lemma apex lobed, awned, 1 -awned. Median (principal) awn 4–14 mm long overall. Anthers 3.