Culms often densely tufted, 20-40 (-65) cm high, erect or geniculately ascending. Leaf-blades glabrous or sparsely hairy, up to 12 cm long, 2-5 mm wide. Spikes 6-11 cm long (excluding the awns), cylindrical with 1-2 vestigial spikelets at the base; rhachis breaking up at maturity. Fertile spikelets 4-6; glumes of lateral spikelets 7-9 mm long (to the base of the apical sinus), 2-toothed, 1 of the teeth short and blunt, the other produced as an awn up to 18 mm long; awns of terminal spikelet shorter than the spike.