Shortly rhizomatous perennial, the lower internodes usually swollen and bead-like, culms erect to c. 80 cm high. Leaves rather few, glabrous, smooth or slightly scabrous; sheath closed in the lower half, often purplish; blade flat or somewhat channelled, becoming closely folded toward the acute, often slightly incurved apex, to 30 cm long and 4 mm wide; ligule thinly membranous, often jagged, 2–7 mm long. Inflorescence an ovoid panicle with very fine, finally widely spreading branches, to c. 20 cm long and 15 cm wide. Spikelets 3–8-flowered, plump, broadly ovate at maturity, 6–12 mm long, 5–10 mm wide, often pendent (somewhat resembling Briza sp.), pale green or purplish; glumes 3–5-nerved, subequal, narrower than and about three-quarters as long as the lower lemma, smooth or sparsely scabrous on nerves; lemma 5-nerved, c. 4 mm long, very obtuse, thin-textured with broad membranous margins, ciliate along keel, lateral nerves and margins toward base, otherwise glabrous; web absent or rudimentary. Flowers Sep.–Nov.