Tufted perennial, culms erect, to 60 cm high, glabrous to densely velutinous just below the inflorescence. Lower leaves usually glabrous, upper leaves sometimes sparsely pubescent to velutinous; blade flat or weakly inrolled, to 15 cm long and 10 mm wide; ligule membranous, laciniate or ciliate, 1–2 mm long. Inflorescence at maturity a spike-like panicle, mostly 5–12 cm long, sometimes interrupted and often spreading at anthesis. Spikelets 2–(rarely 3)-flowered, 4.5–7 mm long, shining; glumes 3.5–6 mm long, membranous, usually partly purplish when young, the lower c. 1 mm shorter than upper; lemma 4.5–6 mm long, shortly bifid at apex, glabrous to minutely pubescent; awn recurved, 3–6 mm long, inserted 1–2.5 mm below apex of lemma; palea oblong, bifid at apex, hyaline, slightly shorter than lemma. Flowers Dec.–Feb.
EGU, HSF, HNF, VAlp. A common component of higher alpine and subalpine grasslands (absent from Lake Mountain and the Baw Baws), occurring on both damp and elevated, rocky sites.
