Annual, biennial, or short-lived perennial. Culms tufted, erect or decumbent at base, 0.5–1.3 m tall, 4–5-noded. Leaf blades flat, 10–20 cm × 3–8 mm, glabrous, adaxial surface scabrid, young blades rolled; auricles usually present, 1–4 mm; ligule up to 4 mm. Raceme erect or nodding, 10–30 cm; rachis scabridulous, spikelets overlapping or up to their own length apart. Spikelets 0.8–3 cm, florets 8–22; glume lanceolate, much shorter than spikelet, scarcely exceeding lowest floret, 5–7-veined, margin narrowly membranous, apex obtuse, acute or slightly erose; lemmas oblong-lanceolate, 5–8 mm, 5-veined, apex acute, obtuse or erose; awn up to 5(–15) mm, fine, straight, or upper lemmas awnless; palea equal to lemma, ciliolate along keels. Caryopsis length 3 times width. Fl. and fr. Jul–Aug. 2n = 14.

This species is widely grown in temperate regions of the world for pasture and forage (Italian Rye Grass).

Lolium multiflorum hybridizes with Festuca pratensis to form the hybrid ×Festulolium braunii (K. Richter) A. Camus. Lolium grandispi-cum Y. J. Fei (Guihaia 19: 205. 1999), described from Hubei (Jingzhou) is probably based on a specimen of this hybrid. The type (Y. J. Fei 98088, HBAC) has not been seen.

Grasslands, introduced. Anhui, Fujian, Guizhou, Hebei, Henan, Hunan, Jiangxi, Nei Mongol, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, Xinjiang, Yunnan [N Africa, SW Asia, C and S Europe].