Perennial, tufted. Culms 50–80 cm tall, 3–4-noded, lower nodes concealed. Leaf sheaths smooth or scabrid, lower usually longer than internodes; leaf blades convolute, basal blades up to 40 cm, outer surface smooth; ligule truncate or 2-toothed, ciliate, of basal leaves 0.5–1 mm, of culm leaves 1.5–2 mm. Panicle narrow, 20–50 cm, base often enclosed by expanded uppermost leaf sheath. Spikelets gray-green or purplish brown; glumes narrowly lanceolate, 2.5–3.5 mm, apex filiform; callus pungent, ca. 4 mm; lemma 12–15 mm, shortly hairy in longitudinal lines, a ring of short hairs at awn articulation; awn deciduous, 14–17 cm, scabrid, 2-geniculate, column 3–5 cm to first bend, 1.5–2 cm to second bend, bristle curling, ca. 10 cm. Fl. and fr. Jun–Oct.

This species is scarcely distinguishable from the widespread Stipa capillata. It has a short ligule and a definite ring of short hairs at the awn articulation. It provides forage in dry steppe and meadow steppe regions.

Mountain slopes, dry grassy places; 700–4000 m. Gansu, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Nei Mongol, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Xizang [Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia].