Culms 90–150 cm tall, 3–6 mm thick. Leaf sheaths smooth, glabrous, keeled; leaf blades linear, flat, 30–50 × 0.6–1 cm, scabrous on both surfaces, narrowed toward base, apex long acuminate; ligule 1.5–2.5 mm. Panicle large, loose, 30–50 cm; branches usually solitary, ascending to spreading, smooth. Spikelets 10–17 mm (including stipe and awn), tinged purplish; callus stipe 4–6 mm, spinulose, lacking glume vestiges; lemma body lanceolate to narrowly ovate, ca. 4 mm, 5-veined, spinulose along veins, apex acuminate, awned; awn 4–6 mm, scabrous; palea narrowly lanceolate, 3-veined, spinulose along veins. Anther 1.2–1.5 mm. Caryopsis yellowish brown, 2–2.5 mm. Fl. and fr. Sep–Oct. 2n = 24.

Wet valleys, streamsides. Jiangsu (Yixing) [Japan].