Perennial, but base unknown. Culms stout, up to 13 1/2 ft. high, glabrous and smooth. Upper leaf-sheaths shorter than the internodes, striate, scabrid, hirsute upwards and ciliate on the margins, or glabrous except for the bearded mouth and pubescent nodes; ligule a densely ciliate rim; blade lanceolate-linear, long-tapering, up to 2 ft. or more long, flat, or rolled when dry, up to 6 lin. wide, pubescent and scabrid on the closely nerved upper surface, scaberulous below. Panicle contracted, erect, 8–16 in. long, composed of up to 70 triads of spikelets; rhachis densely and shortly villous at the lower one or two nodes, or almost glabrous; branches erect or ascending, very slender, the lower semi-verticillate or verticillate, up to 6 in. long, simple or with 2 to 3 triads, scabrid; pedicels 0. Spikelets narrowly lanceolate, acuminate, 10–12 lin. long, straw-coloured or brownish. Glumes 3-nerved; lower narrowly lanceolate, acuminate, 8–11 1/2 lin. long, coriaceous except for the fine fragile tip, with a submarginal row of short white bristles from brown tubercles on each side except towards the base; upper linear-lanceolate, acuminate, acute, obtuse or 2-lobed at the tip, as long as the spikelet, minutely pubescent towards the margins or glabrous, chartaceous. Lower floret ♂: valve narrowly lanceolate, acutely acuminate, 9–10 lin. long, 7-nerved upwards; valvule linear, 5 1/2–6 1/2 lin. long. Upper floret linear: callus pungent, 1 lin. long; valve 3 1/2–3 3/4 lin. long, 2-lobed, with the lobes tapering into very fine bristles 7 1/2–9 lin. long, coriaceous, finely 7-nerved, very minutely pubescent; awn 2–3 in. long; column yellowish, scaberulous, 7 1/2–11 lin. long; valvule linear, 3 1/2–3 3/4 lin. long. Anthers 3, 3 lin. long. Ovary hairy at the top.