Tufted perennial; culms simple, erect, slender, up to 50 cm high. Leaf-blades filiform, convolute, 5-17 cm long. Spikes 5-23 cm long, straight or flexuous. Spikelets 5-8(-11)-flowered, 3.7-10 mm long; lower glume 1-nerved, lanceolate, often asymmetrical with a short rounded lobe on one side, 1.6-23 mm long; upper glume 1-nerved, narrowly lanceolate, straight on the back, sometimes emarginate or minutely 2-toothed, mucronate or very shortly awned, (2.5)3-4.5 mm long; lowest lemma elliptic-lanceolae, (1.5)2-35 mm long, 4-toothed at the apex, the lateral nerves extended as awns 1-3 mm long, central awn often curved, 4-10 mm long; callus bearded in front.

Type: India, Herb. Royle (K).

Distribution: Himalayas from Kashmir to Northeast India.