Perennial. Culms loosely tufted, 20–35 cm tall, ca. 1.5 mm in diam., 3–5-noded. Leaf sheaths usually shorter than internodes, glabrous but pilose around summit; ligules membranous; leaf blades flat or involute, adaxial surface pilose, abaxial surface glabrous, 3–11 cm × 2–4 mm. Panicle open, 3–12 × 0.2–0.5 cm; branch single, sparsely pilose in axils. Spikelets glaucous-green, densely imbricate, oblong or elliptic, 3–7 × 2–2.5 mm, 16–30-flowered; rachilla persistent. Glumes membranous, ovate, 1-veined, lower glume ca. 1 mm, apex acute, the upper 1.2–1.4 mm. Lemma broad ovate, apex acute; margin membranous, reddish or yellow. Palea persistent, apex obtuse, along keels ciliolate. Stamens 3; anthers ca. 0.3 mm. Caryopsis brown-red, ellipsoid, ca. 0.6 mm. Fl. and fr. winter.

* Open grasslands. Hainan.