Schismus barbatus (Linnaeus) Thellung subsp. arabicus (Nees) Maire & Weiller.

Annual. Culms tufted, 5–15 cm tall. Leaf sheaths glabrous; leaf blades up to 10 cm, glabrous or pilose on adaxial surface; ligule 0.5–1 mm. Inflorescence subspicate, 1–4 cm, 5–10 mm wide. Spikelets 5–7 mm, florets 5–8; glumes about as long as spikelet, lanceolate, acuminate, lower glume 4.5–6.5 mm, 5–7-veined, upper glume 5–7 mm, 3–5-veined; lemmas elliptic-ovate, 2.5–4 mm, 7–9-veined, pilose below middle with pointed hairs, deeply 2-lobed, lobes (of lowest lemma) 1–2 mm, narrowly triangular, clearly longer than wide, apex acuminate, with or without mucro from sinus; palea reaching only slightly beyond base of lemma sinus, never exceeding middle of apical lobes. Anthers 0.2–0.4 mm. Fl. and fr. Mar–Jul. 2n = 12.

Arid open places. Xinjiang, W Xizang [Afghanistan, NW India, Mongolia, Pakistan, Russia (Altay); N Africa, C and SW Asia, SE Europe; introduced in America and Australia].