Perennial forming small tough tussocks. Culms erect, 15–25 cm tall, unbranched, upper part dark-gray, terminal node usually included in uppermost leaf sheath. Leaf sheaths glabrous, pilose at mouth (hairs ca. 2 mm), tightly overlapping; leaf blades gray-green, involute or rarely flat, 4–18 cm, abaxial surface smooth, adaxial surface scabrid. Panicle narrow, 4–10 cm; branches 2–5 cm, appressed to main axis. Spikelets dark-purple or brown; glumes subequal with upper slightly longer, 1.2–1.3 cm, lanceolate, 1-veined, scabrid on upper part and vein, apiculate; callus ca. 0.5 mm, bearded with ca. 0.8 mm hairs, obtuse; lemma ca. 9 mm, dark purple, scabrid in upper part, awns arising directly from lemma apex; central awn 8–9 mm, lateral awns 4–6 mm. Anthers ca. 3 mm. Fl. and fr. summer and autumn.

This species is very similar to Aristida triseta, but with somewhat larger spikelet parts.

* Dry mountain slopes; ca. 4500 m. Xizang.