Perennial. Culms tufted, wiry at base, 30–60 cm tall, branching above base, 6–7-noded. Leaf sheaths glabrous or pilose; leaf blades linear, 8–12 × (0.2–)0.3–0.6 cm, uppermost very reduced, tuberculate-pilose, rarely glabrous, apex acuminate; ligule ca. 1 mm. Racemes 2, 3–5 cm, lowermost spikelets barren, awnless; rachis internodes 1.5–2 mm, yellowish brown ciliate; pedicel yellowish brown bearded. Sessile spikelet 4.5–6 mm; callus yellowish brown bearded; lower glume obovate-oblong, firmly herbaceous, glabrous or thinly hispid, greenish yellow with a scarious red-brown band across apex, veins green, straight, terminating below apex, connected there by transverse veinlets, apex truncate, erose, ciliate; florets longer than lower glume, exserted apices red; lower lemma oblong-lanceolate; upper lemma apex 2-denticulate or subentire, awned; awn geniculate, 2–3 cm. Anthers ca. 2.5 mm. Pedicelled spikelet absent or rudimentary. Fl. and fr. Aug–Oct.

Dry grassy hillsides. Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Jiangxi, Yunnan, Zhejiang [Thailand].