Perennial, forming dense tussocks. Culms 30–75 cm tall, 2–3-noded. Basal leaves 1/2–2/3 length of culms; leaf sheaths longer than internodes; leaf blades acicular, convolute, 8–10 cm, outer surface sparsely pubescent; ligule of basal leaves lanceolate, 2–5 mm, of culm leaves 3–7(–12) mm. Panicle 15–30 cm, base included in uppermost leaf sheath; branches obliquely ascending, straight, 2–4 cm. Spikelets green or tinged pale purple; glumes narrowly lanceolate, 1.4–1.6 cm, apex finely acuminate; callus pungent, 1–3 mm; lemma 7–8 mm, back pubescent, a ring of hairs at awn articulation; awn deciduous, 4–6 cm, hairy throughout, 2-geniculate, column plumose with ca. 2 mm hairs, 0.6–0.7 cm to first bend, ca. 1 cm to second bend, bristle 3–4 cm, hairs 0.3–0.7 mm. Fl. and fr. Jul–Sep.

This is a good forage grass in steppe and meadow steppe regions.

Grassy mountainsides, silt fans and gravelly places by lakes; 3500–5100 m. Qinghai, Xinjiang (Kunlun Shan, Pamirs), Xizang [India (Sikkim), Kashmir].