Stipa duthiei J. D. Hooker, Fl. Brit. India 7: 232. 1896 ["1897"]; Achnatherum chingii var. laxum S. L. Lu.

Perennial, densely tufted. Culms erect, 50–80 cm tall, 1–2 mm in diam., 3–4-noded. Leaf sheaths smooth or scaberulous; leaf blades narrowly linear to setaceous, thin, flat or convolute when dry, 10–30 × 0.1–0.25 cm, abaxial surface smooth; ligule of culm leaves oblong, 2–2.5 mm. Panicle open or loosely contracted, 10–25 cm; branches paired, 3–10 cm, pairs distant, laxly ascending or lower spreading, few spiculate, bare in lower part. Spikelets 9–14 mm, pale yellowish, base brownish purple; glumes subequal, lanceolate, membranous, lower 3–5-veined, upper 5-veined, apex hyaline, acuminate; callus acute, 0.5–0.8 mm; lemma 7(–9) mm, back loosely pilose below middle, glabrous or sparsely pubescent above, apex 2-toothed, teeth 0.5–1 mm; awn 1.4–1.8 cm, persistent, delicate, weakly 1-geniculate, column loosely twisted, pubescent, bristle scabrid; palea as long as lemma. Anthers 3–4.5 mm, bearded at apex. Fl. and fr. Jul–Sep.

Mountain shrubland and in coniferous forest; 2500–4500 m. Qinghai, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan [N India, Kashmir, Nepal].