Perennial, densely tufted. Culms 50–100 cm tall, 3–4-noded, lower nodes concealed. Basal leaves often reaching to panicle, leaf sheaths smooth or scabrid, lower longer than internodes; leaf blades filiform, convolute, up to 50 cm, outer surface smooth; ligule of basal leaves rounded, 0.5–1 mm, ciliate, of culm leaves lanceolate, 2.5–10 mm. Panicle narrow, 20–50 cm, base enclosed by expanded uppermost leaf sheath. Spikelets greenish purple; glumes narrowly lanceolate, 3–4.5 cm, apex filiform; callus pungent, 4–4.5 mm; lemma 15–17 mm, shortly hairy in longitudinal lines, a ring of short hairs at awn articulation; awn deciduous, 20–28 cm, scabrid, 2-geniculate, column 7–10 cm to first bend, 2–2.5 cm to second bend, bristle curling, 11–18 cm. Fl. and fr. May–Aug.

This species is very close to Stipa capillata, but with larger spikelets and longer awns. It provides good forage for grazing and cutting in the steppe zone.

Flat open steppes; 100–3400 m. Gansu, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Jilin, Liaoning, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shanxi [Mongolia, Russia].