Annual; culms-20-85 cm high, erect or geniculately ascending. Leaf-blades 3-16 cm long, 2-9 mm wide, glabrous; upper sheaths slightly inflated; ligule 2-5 mm long, obtuse. Panicle 25-10(-12) cm long, 4-7 mm wide, tapering towards the tip. Spikelets 4.5-7.5 mm long; glumes acute, convergent at the tips, connate for a third to half their length, narrowly winged on the keel, minutely hairy there and on the nerves near the base; lemma as long as or slightly longer than the glumes, acute, the margins connate for a third to half their length; awn exceeding the tip of the lemma by 4-8 mm; anthers 3-4 mm long.

Fl. & Fr. Per.: March-April.

Type locality: England.

Distribution: Pakistan (Baluchistan, N.W.F.P. & Kashmir); Europe and temperate Asia; introduced in North America and other temperate regions.

Slender Fox-tail is a useful fodder grass in alpine pastures, but can become a serious pest of wheat and rye. It is difficult to eradicate, but may be considerably reduced by allowing fields to lie fallow for two years.

300-1500 m.