Glabrous perennial, tufted, stems usually stiffly ascending and branched above base, culms erect, to c. 60 cm high. Leaves smooth or finely scabrous; sheath usually purplish; blade often bluish, inrolled-terete or folded, erect, to c. 40 cm long and c. 1 mm wide; ligule truncate, membranous, to 1 mm long, distinctly ciliate at apex. Inflorescence a narrow panicle, to 15 cm long and 8 cm wide. Spikelets 3–7-flowered, 4–6 mm long, green or tinged purple; glumes often shining, the lower slightly shorter than upper, both 3-nerved, scabrous along the keel, c. 2 mm long; lemma 5-nerved, rather narrow, 2–3 mm long, glabrous or virtually so except along margins near the base; web absent or very weakly developed. Flowers Oct.–Mar.
GipP, EGU, HSF, VAlp. Localized but rather common in dry and rocky sites in hilly country near Licola and eastwards to near Dargo, extending to subalpine areas near e.g. Mt Wellington.
