An erect or ascending perennial tussock grass, rhizomatous at base or rooting at the lower nodes, glabrous to hairy. Low/medium height forms 1—1.5 m tall, tall forms 2.5—3.0 m or more. Leaf-sheath glabrous; ligule membranous, 4—6 mm long, fringed; leaf-blade linear to narrowly lanceolate, up to 60 cm x 2 cm, usually glabrous except in hairy forms ; midrib pale, vanishing near the tip, other nerves distinct. Inflorescence usually a large, well extended pyramidal panicle up to 40 cm long by 25 cm across with lower primary branches about 20 cm long and arranged in a whorl; spikelets solitary, numerous, narrowly ellipsoidal, 3—4.5 mm long, green or tinged with purple, acute; lower glume 1—2 mm long, thin, clasping, obtuse, 3-nerved; upper glume 3—4.5 mm long, thin, narrowly boat-shaped, 5-nerved, acute; lower florets male, lemma similar to upper glume; upper florets hermaphrodite, lemma tranversely rugose, boat-shaped, pointed, palea fitting inside lemma, both ca. 2 mm long, anthers and stigma purple. |
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