Perennial, rhizomatous. Culms tussocky, 40–70 cm tall, ca. 1.5 mm in diam. Leaf sheaths glabrous or lower pubescent; leaf blades usually convolute, 2–10(–15) cm × 0.2–4 mm, both surfaces pubescent or abaxial surface glabrous, subacute; ligule 1–4 mm. Panicle 7–11 cm, lax, sometimes reduced to a few-spiculate raceme; branches mostly unbranched, flexuous, scabrid, lower often binate, each bearing 1 spikelet or a close pair, lateral spikelet on ca. 1 mm pedicel, slightly narrower than terminal spikelet. Spikelets oblong to wedge-shaped, 1.3–2.5 cm, purple and golden brown, florets 2–8; rachilla scabrid or smooth; glumes variable, apex obtuse with ciliolate margin, lower glume oblong to oblanceolate, 2.5–9 mm, upper glume broadly oblong to oblanceolate, 5–11 mm; lemmas elliptic-oblong, lowest 1.2–1.5 cm, papery becoming membranous toward apex, veins scaberulous, back scaberulous-puberulous especially lower flanks, apex rounded, minutely ciliolate; palea 1/2–2/3 lemma length, keels scabrid-ciliolate. Anthers 4–5 mm. Fl. and fr. Jul–Aug.

This species is very close to Littledalea racemosa, but the spikelets are slightly smaller and, when paired, more bunched on the panicle branches. The leaf blades are also hairier.

Hara et al. (Enum. Fl. Pl. Nepal 1: 137. 1978) cited Stainton 4356 and Stainton 4357 from Nepal.

* Rocky slopes, river gravel; 5000–5500 m. Xizang, Yunnan [?Nepal].