Plant loosely tufted, sometimes rhizomatous. Culms 15–60(–100) cm tall, 1–3-noded. Leaf sheaths glabrous or loosely pilose, mouth glabrous or bearded; leaf blades flat, up to 12 cm, 2–7 mm wide, glabrous or loosely pilose, smooth or scabrid, apex acuminate; ligule 1–3 mm, obtuse. Panicle dense, spikelike, lanceolate to narrowly oblong in outline, 2–7(–10) × 0.4–1 cm; branches short; pedicels pubescent or glabrous. Spikelets lanceolate, 6–9 mm; glumes unequal, pubescent or punctiform-scabrid, margins sometimes ciliate, lower glume ca. 1/2 length of upper glume, 1-veined, upper glume subequal to spikelet, 3-veined; lower florets sterile, composed only of lemmas, 2.5–3.5 mm, pilose on back, apex 2-lobed, lobes short, obtuse; first lemma awned from near middle, awn straight, 2–4 mm; second lemma awned near base, awn geniculate, 7–9 mm; bisexual floret 2–3 mm, smooth, shiny; palea 1-veined; anthers 3–4.5 mm. Fl. and fr. May–Aug.

Meadows, alpine steppe; 1400–2900 m. Jiangxi, Taiwan (introduced), Xinjiang, NE China [Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Russia; Europe].