Culms tufted, erect or geniculate at base, 20–60 cm tall, 2- or 3(–6)-noded. Leaf sheath glabrous; ligule apex truncate; leaf blade involute, 5–15 × 0.2–0.3 cm, glabrous or prickly hairy along veins. Spike linear, moderately lax, 3–9(–12) × 0.4–0.6 cm; rachis glabrous or puberulent; internodes 3–5(–10) mm. Spikelets 8–14(–19) × 3–5 mm, with (2 or)3–8 florets; rachilla glabrous or puberulent; internodes 3–5(–10) mm. Glumes oblique, 3–5-veined, apex with point ca. 1 mm or awn ca. 2 mm; proximal glume 3–6 mm; distal glume 4–6 mm. Lemma 5-veined, glabrous, laxly puberulent, or densely villous, apex pointed; first lemma 5–8 mm. Palea shorter than or equaling lemma, shortly ciliate along keels. Fl. and fr. Jul–Sep.

* Dry steppes, sandy places. Gansu, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Xinjiang.