Tufted perennial 15-25(-40) cm high. Leaf-blades involute and setaceous, up to c. 1 mm wide when flattened, smooth and glabrous on the lower (outer) surface; ligule 3.5-5 mm long. Panicle loose, few-flowered, 6-12 cm long, with long flexuous ± filiform branches. Glumes lanceolate, shortly acuminate (the narrow tip about 4 mm long), 15-25 mm long, deeply suffused with purple, the lower 3-nerved, the upper 5-nerved; lemma terete, 9-11 mm long (including callus), shortly pubescent ± all over but glabrous at the tip; callus acuminate, pungent, 1.5-2.2 mm long. Awn bigeniculate, articulated at the base, 6-8.5 cm long, plumose throughout its length with hairs 2-3 mm long.

Type: Tibet, Schlagintweit 7116 (LE).

Distribution: Kashmir; Tibet and Southern USSR.

A high alpine species (4800-5800 m) with deep purple spikelets on long flexuous pedicels.