Perennial. Culms loosely tufted, glabrous, ca. 50 cm tall, 7–9-noded. Leaf sheaths pilose, hairs denser toward ligule; leaf blades linear or linear-lanceolate, 3–13 × 0.25–0.6 cm, uppermost very reduced, tuberculate-pilose, apex acuminate; ligule ca. 1 mm. Racemes 2, 2.5–4.5 cm, lowermost spikelets barren, awnless; rachis internodes ca. 2 mm, yellowish brown ciliate. Sessile spikelet 3.5–4 mm; callus yellowish brown bearded; lower glume obovate-cuneate,firmly herbaceous, glabrous, greenish yellow with a scarious red-brown band across apex, veins straight, terminating below apex, connected there by transverse veinlets, apex truncate, erose, ciliate; florets longer than upper glume, exserted apices red; lower lemma oblong, truncate-denticulate, ciliate; upper lemma apex subentire, awned; awn 2.2–2.8 cm. Pedicelled spikelet absent. Fl. and fr. summer–autumn.

This species is similar to Apocopis wrightii, but with smaller, broader spikelets.

* Grassy mountain slopes. S Sichuan, N Yunnan.