Annual, culms erect or geniculate near base, to 70 cm high. At least the lower leaves softly hairy, hairs on lower sheath often decurved; blade flat, to 20 cm long and 4 mm wide; ligule ciliate on abaxial surface, toothed, 0.5–2 mm long. Inflorescence a contracted cylindric to narrowly ovoid panicle 4–12 cm long with erect branches shorter than the spikelets. Spikelets sparsely to moderately hairy, 8–16-flowered, flattened, oblong to lanceolate, 15–40 mm long (excluding awns); lower glume 3-nerved, 5–9 mm long, upper glume 7-nerved, 8–12 mm long; lemma 10–18 mm long, with an apical notch to 3 mm deep, 7-nerved; awn 8–15 mm long, conspicuously flattened, twisting near base and spreading toward maturity, inserted 3–6 mm below lemma apex. Flowers Oct.–Dec.