Plant loosely tufted or turf-forming; shoots extravaginal. Culms (30–)40–80 cm tall, nodes 2–3. Leaf sheaths glabrous or basal leaf sheath hairy; auricles absent; leaf blades flat, 7–20(–36) cm × 2.5–3.8(–5) mm, veins 13–17; adaxial toabaxial sclerenchyma strands present; ligule 0.2–0.5 mm, margin ciliolate. Panicle loose, nodding, (10–)15–20 cm; branches 4–13 cm, 1(or 2) at lowest node. Spikelets 7–9 mm; florets 3 or 4(or 5); glumes smooth, apex obtuse to acute; lower glume ovate, 1–1.8 mm; upper glume ovate, 2.2–3(–4) mm; rachilla internodes 0.9–1.1 mm; lemmas 4.8–7 mm, smooth, apex subobtuse, rarely slightly notched; awns 5–10(–12) mm; palea keels smooth. Anthers 0.7–1.1(–1.5) mm. Ovary apex densely hairy. Fl. and fr. Apr–Jul.

Records of this species from NE India and Nepal are based on misidentifications.

Grassy slopes, forests, roadsides, river banks; (200–)1000–3700 m. Guizhou, Hunan, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Taiwan, Xizang, Yunnan, Zhejiang [Japan, Korea].