Red grass

Caespitose to decumbent perennial to 1 m high.

Leaves with ligule 1.5–2.5 mm long, minutely ciliate at apex; blade 2.5–5.5 mm wide, sparsely hairy with tubercle-based hairs.

Racemes 3–6, appressed or somewhat flabellate, 3–8.5 cm long, white-villous; joints and pedicels 3–5 mm long, the margins with hairs to 4 mm long. Sessile spikelet narrowly rounded at tip, the callus densely bearded with hairs to 1 mm long. Lower glume loosely hairy on the lower 30% or rarely glabrous, with a small pit on the back in the upper part or unpitted but often slightly depressed; upper glume slightly smaller, smooth. Lower lemma lanceolate-oblong to ovate to lanceolate, jagged at the apex, about 75% as long as the glumes; fertile lemma stipe-like; awn 2–2.5 cm long, geniculate; palea absent; stamens 3. Pedicellate spikelet sterile, lanceolate, acute, 4–6 mm long.