Wagner, Warren L., Derral R. Herbst and S. H. Sohmer. 1999. Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawai'i (Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum Special Publication, 2 Vol. Set). Honolulu, HI
Flora of Hawaii:
Distribution In the Hawaiian Islands, endemic to Kure, Midway, Pearl and Hermes, Lisianski, Laysan, Nihoa, Ni`ihau, Kaua`i, O`ahu, Moloka`i, Lana`i, Maui, Kaho`olawe, Hawai`i.
Habit Perennials; culms tufted, erect, usually 4-8 dm tall or taller, glabrous or scaberulous, especially below the panicles.
Leaves Sheaths glabrous or puberulent at apex and on collar, sometimes villous at throat; ligule a ciliate membrane less than 0.5 mm long; blades usually flat near base, involute in upper part, up to 50 cm long, ca. 1 cm wide, upper surface scaberulous, sometimes villous near base, lower surface glabrous.
Flowers Panicles narrow, up to 40 cm long, somewhat open or dense and spike-like, branches strongly ascending to spreading, the axis scabrous or pubescent, sometimes glabrous in lower part, the axils sometimes pilose, pedicels glabrous or scabrous, rachilla glabrous or puberulent; spikelets 8-12(-14)-flowered, 5-10 mm long; glumes subequal, 2-3 mm long, keels usually strongly scaberulous, apex acuminate or attenuate, first glume 1-nerved, second glume 3-nerved; lemmas imbricate, 2.5-3 mm long, scabrous, especially toward apex, the apex acuminate; palea nearly as long as lemma, keel scabrous-ciliate.
Fruit Caryopsis dark reddish brown, ellipsoid to ovoid, 0.8-1.2 mm long, delicately striate.