Tufted perennial without rhizomes; culms (13-)25-80cm high, erect or geniculately ascending, slender. Leaf-blades folded-setaceous, up to 25cm long, scabrid on the lower (outer) surface, glaucous, with 7 sclerenchyma strands, 1 on the keel, 1 along each margin and 1 below each of the lateral nerves, 6-sided in section (this visible in a handlens without the need to cut sections); ligule a narrow rim c. 0.5mm long. Panicle narrowly lanceolate to ovate, 6-15cm long, lax, the branches ascending or spreading, scabrid. Spikelets 4-6(-7)-flowered, (8-)10-13 mm long (excluding the awns); lower glume 2.7-4.4mm long, 1 nerved, upper glume 4-5.3mm long, 3-nerved; lemmas narrowly elliptic in side-view, 5.5-7 mm long, scabrid above, with an awn 1.5-3mm long, palea scabrid along the keels; anthers 2.5-4mm long; ovary hairy at the tip.

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

Type: Northwest India, Royle (K,LE).

Distribution: Pakistan (N.W.F.P. & Kashmir); Northwest India and China (Dzhungaria).

3100-4700m.