Annual, tufted. Culms erect or geniculate, up to 35 cm tall. Leaf sheaths scabrid, uppermost slightly inflated; ligule 1–6 mm, apex irregularly toothed; leaf blades linear, 5–10 cm, 1–5 mm wide, both surfaces scabrid, apex acuminate. Panicle dense, spikelike, sometimes lobed, 5–7 cm, often purple tinged. Spikelets 2–3 mm, yellowish green; glumes obovate-oblong, hispid, margins ciliate, apex deeply 2-lobed, lobes obtuse, awned from sinus; awn 6–7 mm; lemma 1–1.2 mm, awnless; palea as long as lemma. Stamens 3, anthers 0.3–0.4 mm. Caryopsis obovate-oblong, 0.7–0.9 mm. Fl. and fr. Jun–Aug.

Moist grassland on mountain slopes, marshy meadows; 400–3300 m. Xinjiang [Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan; N Africa, SW Asia, Europe; introduced in North America].