Long-rhizomatous or sometimes tussock-forming perennial. Culms erect, to c. 70 cm high. Leaf-blades flat or channelled, to 30 cm long and 5 mm wide, glabrous or sparsely hairy near base, scabrous; sheaths ciliate along margins; ligules 0.5–1 mm long, with longer lateral hair-tufts. Inflorescence a soft, moderately dense ovoid to broadly cylindric panicle 3–10 cm long; spikelets 1–4 per branch, subtended by an involucre 25–45 mm long, of shining white (rarely purplish) plumose bristles. Spikelets lanceolate, 7–11 mm long; lower glume rudimentary, c. 0.5 mm long; upper glume 1-nerved, lanceolate, 2–4 mm long, membranous; lower floret staminate or sterile, its lemma slightly shorter than the spikelet, 7–9-nerved, palea subequal to lemma; upper floret bisexual, lemma equal to spikelet, resembling lower lemma, palea subequal to lemma. Flowers Nov.–May.