Perennial, tufted. Culms 20–40 cm tall, 1–2-noded. Basal leaves 1/2–2/3 length of culms; leaf sheaths smooth, glabrous, longer than internodes; leaf blades setaceous, convolute, basal blades up to 24 cm, outer surface smooth; ligule rounded, 1–1.5 mm, shorter in basal leaves, hairy on back. Panicle open, 10–15 cm; branches without axillary cushions, loosely ascending. Spikelets gray-purplish; glumes subequal, lanceolate, 1–1.3 cm, apex slenderly acuminate; callus pungent, ca. 1 mm; lemma 6.5–8 mm, pilose; awn persistent, 1.8–2.5 cm, 2-geniculate, column 0.4–0.5 cm to first bend, plumose, hairs 1–2 mm at base reducing toward first bend, 0.4–0.5 cm to second bend, puberulous, bristle 1–1.5 cm, appressed-puberulous. Fl. and fr. Jul–Sep.

This is a good forage grass in steppe regions.

* Damp grassy mountain slopes, silt fans, river banks; 2900–4600 m. Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, Xizang.