Plants cespitose. Culms usually 35-75 cm, usually pubescent, at least on the lower internodes. Midculm blades 6-16 cm, usually glabrous. Primary panicles open, branches spreading, not appearing 1-sided. Spikelets 2.4-3 mm, narrowly obovoid to ellipsoid, often pointed to beaked. Lower glumes attached less than 0.2 mm below the upper glumes.
Dichanthelium aciculare subsp. angustifolium grows in open pine woodlands, often in sandy soil with needle duff.