Calamagrostis holciformis Jaubert & Spach, Ill. Pl. Orient. 4: 61. 1851; C. compacta (Munro ex J. D. Hooker) Hackel ex Paulsen; Deyeuxia compacta Munro ex J. D. Hooker.

Perennial, loosely tufted, rhizomatous; rhizomes slender, spreading. Culms erect, 15–30 cm tall, 1–3 mm in diam., scabrid below panicle, 2–3-noded. Leaf sheaths scabrid, culm sheaths loose, subinflated; leaf blades involute, rarely flat, stiff, glaucous, 2–5(–12) cm, 2–7 mm wide, adaxial surface scabrid with fairly long setiform spinules, apex acute; ligule 1–4 mm, lacerate. Panicle spikelike, oblong-ovate in outline, dense, sometimes lobed, 1.5–6(–10) × 1–1.5 cm; branches 1–2 cm, scabrid. Spikelets 5–9 mm, yellowish brown, purplish at base; glumes narrowly to broadly lanceolate, subequal, lower glume 1-veined, upper glume 3-veined, scaberulous, apex acute to acuminate; callus hairs ca. 1/2 length of lemma; lemma 4–6 mm, scabrid, apex 4-denticulate; awn sub-basal, 5–7 mm, weakly geniculate, lower part slightly twisted; palea 2/3 as long to equaling lemma; rachilla 1.5–2.5 mm, including hairs 3–4.5 mm. Anthers 2–4 mm. Fl. and fr. Aug–Sep.

Deyeuxia compacta, with a small panicle and unusually broad glumes, represents an extreme form of this variable species.

Grassy slopes and wet sandy places in montane regions; 3800–4500 m. Gansu, Qinghai (Yushu), Xizang [Kashmir, Kyrgyzstan (W Tian Shan), Tajikistan (Pamirs)].