Perennial, loosely tufted, shortly rhizomatous. Culms erect from ascending base, 15–45 cm tall, glabrous, 2–3-noded. Leaf sheaths pilose; leaf blades flat, 10–15 cm, 2–4 mm wide, pilose on both surfaces or only on margins; ligule 2–3 mm. Panicle contracted, fairly dense, linear to narrowly lanceolate-oblong in outline, 4–9 cm, greenish brown tinged violet; branches erect, up to 2.5 cm, smooth or rarely scaberulous. Spikelets 5–7 mm, florets 2 or 3; rachilla hairs 0.5–1 mm; glumes unequal, lower glume 3–4 mm, upper glume 4–5 mm, apex acuminate; lemmas ca. 5 mm, punctately scabrid; awned from slightly above middle to upper 1/3, apex 2-denticulate, teeth mucronate; awn 4–8 mm, recurved, lower part slightly twisted; palea keels scabrid. Anthers 0.8–1.2 mm. Fl. Jun–Sep. 2n = 14.

Alpine meadows, among rocks in coniferous forests, grassy mountain slopes; 1900–2800 m. Xinjiang [E Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia (Siberia)].