Perennial, shortly rhizomatous; rhizomes clothed in smooth yellowish green scales. Culms erect, ca. 1.5 m tall, 2–3-noded. Leaf sheaths smooth or scaberulous, longer than internodes; leaf blades convolute, up to 50 cm, abaxial surface smooth, margins setosely scabrid; ligule oblong-lanceolate, up to 14 mm. Panicle contracted, ca. 30 cm; branches several per node, suberect, short, with spikelets to base; pedicels 2–10 mm, setulose. Spikelets 6–6.5 mm, yellowish green becoming purplish at base; glumes subequal, lanceolate-elliptic, lower glume ca. 6 mm, 5–7-veined at base, upper glume ca. 6.5 mm, often 5-veined at base, glabrous, apex acute; callus obtuse; lemma ca. 5 mm, pilose along lateral veins with long white hairs, apex shortly 2-toothed; awn 0.2–0.4 cm, straight. Anthers 3.5–4 mm, bearded at apex. Fl. Jun.

* Grassy places on mountain slopes, dry river valleys; ca. 2100 m. Gansu (Minxian).