Tufted perennial 10-35 cm high. Leaf-blades involute and setaceous, up to 0.8 mm wide when flattened, glabrous or faintly scaberulous on the lower (outer) surface; ligule 3.5-5 mm long. Panicle narrow, contracted but not dense, 5.5-10 cm long. Glumes ± equal, 9-125 mm long, lanceolate, acute or acuminate, 3-5-nerved, deeply suffused with purple; lemma narrowly elliptic, 6-8 mm long (including callus), hairy all over, the hairs usually longer below the awn, entire at the tip; callus acuminate, pungent, 0.8-1.5 mm long. Awn bigeniculate, not articulated at the base, 16-22 mm long; column plumose with hairs up to 1 mm long; bristle shortly hairy (hairs 0.2-0.3 mm long).

Fl. & Fr. Per.: July-September.

Type: Tian-Shan, Regel (W).

Distribution: Kashmir; Pamir, Tian Shan, Tibet.

A high mountain species found between 3000 and 5500 m.