Slender, few-leaved annual, culms erect, to 80 cm high. Leaves softly hairy; sheath often with decurved hairs; blade flat, to 12 cm long and 6 mm wide; ligule pubescent on abxial surface, shortly toothed, c. 1 mm long. Inflorescence a rather dense, narrowly ovate to linear panicle, to 10 cm long, pedicels mostly shorter than spikelets. Spikelets plump, 4–8-flowered, lanceolate, 12–18 mm long (excluding awns), usually covered with soft hairs, rarely glabrous; lower glume 3-nerved, 4.5–7 mm long, upper glume 5-nerved, 5.5–8 mm long; lemma 7.5–10 mm long (excluding the awn), membranous, blunt at apex and with a notch c. 1 mm deep; awn erect to slightly spreading, 4–11mm long, inserted at the base of the notch. Flowers Oct.–Jan.