Perennial. Culms loosely tufted, ascending, rooting at lower nodes, 30–60 cm tall, nodes eglandular. Leaf sheaths glabrous except for ciliate outer margin; leaf blades linear-lanceolate, 5–15 × 0.5–1 cm, smooth, glabrous, base rounded, apex acuminate; ligule ca. 1 mm. Panicle open, 5–15 cm, eglandular; primary branches laxly ascending, moderately branched with scattered spikelets, smooth; pedicels equaling or longer than spikelets. Spikelets oblong, ca. 2.5 mm; florets slightly dissimilar, lower floret bisexual, upper floret usually female; glumes similar, ovate-oblong, slightly shorter than spikelet, 5–7-veined, glabrous, obtuse; lower lemma elliptic-oblong, shallowly convex, cartilaginous, densely white-ciliate along whole length of margin, otherwise glabrous; upper lemma similar but slightly shorter and more ovate. Fl. and fr. Jun–Sep.

This species is related to Isachne globosa, but differs in having an eglandular panicle and densely ciliate lemma margins.

* Moist places; 1500–1800 m. Sichuan.