Tufted annual, culms erect, to 90 cm high, nodes glabrous, usually hidden by the sheaths. Leaf-blades flat to inrolled, to 20 cm long (but often much less), 2–9 mm broad, glabrous, minutely scabrous or minutely pubescent; sheaths of lower leaves densely woolly-pubescent, those of upper leaves sometimes glabrous; ligules thinly membranous, 2–15 mm long, often laciniate at apex. Inflorescence a contracted, usually dense panicle to 35 cm long, the base of the panicle often concealed by uppermost leaf-sheath. Glumes 13–23 mm long, light green, acuminate or acute, sometimes toothed just below apex, the lower up to 12 mm longer than upper; lemma 7–9 mm long, white to straw-coloured at maturity, smooth, with sparse, short white hairs; callus 1.5–3.5 mm long; awn straight or falcate, 100–200 mm long, the straight part 10–30 mm long, smooth and glabrous or minutely scabrous; palea about equal to lemma, with a sparse line of hairs down the centre. Flowers Oct.–Dec.
LoM, Wim, VVP, GGr. Also WA, SA. Occurs in sandy heathland, mallee and heathy woodlands of the Little Desert, southern Grampians, Mt Arapiles and southern parts of the Big Desert. Rare in Victoria, but may be locally abundant following fires. A 1934 collection from the Melbourne suburb of Northcote is of doubtful provenance or is likely to be a cultivated plant.
