Tufted perennial 30-70 cm high. Leaf-blades involute and setaceous, up to 1.5 mm wide when flattened, scabrid on the lower (outer) surface; ligule 1.5--3.5 mm long. Panicle narrow, few-flowered, 10-21 cm long. Glumes narrowly lanceolate, long-acuminate with fragile tips, 28-40(-55) mm long, 5-nerved; lemma terete, (13-)15-18 mm long (including callus), hairy in the lower part with rows of short hairs, glabrous at the tip; callus acuminate, pungent, 2.5-4 mm long. Awn bigeniculate, articulated at the base, 18-26 cm long; column glabrous; bristle plumose with hairs 4-5 mm long.