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.

Resembles subsp. angustifolium vegetatively except that the culms are often taller and more slender. Panicle branches ascending, not appearing 1-sided. Spikelets 2.9-3.6 mm, fusiform, bases strongly attenuate, apices pointed or beaked, lower glumes attached 0.3-0.5 mm below the upper glumes.

Dichanthelium aciculare subsp. fusiforme grows in sandy pine or oak savannahs. It tends to replace subsp. angustifolium from southern Florida through Central America and the Antilles.