Perennial; culms 25-100 cm high, geniculately ascending. Leaf-blades 3-30 cm long, 2-7 mm wide. Inflorescence composed of (1-) 2-15 subdigitate shortly peduncled racemes, the peduncles glabrous; racemes 3-7 cm long, the spikelets subimbricate with 0-6 smaller homogamous pairs at the base; internodes and pedicels solid. Sessile spikelet narrowly oblong, 2-6 mm long; lower glume firmly cartilaginous, slightly concave, pubescent to villous below the middle with long bulbous-based hairs on the margins above, obtuse to subacute; awn 8-25 mm long.

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

Type: Egypt, Forsskal (C).

Distribution: Pakistan (Sind, Baluchistan, Punjab, N.W.FY. & Kashmir); Kenya, Tanzania and Senegal, through the Middle East to Indonesia; introduced to southern Africa, Tropical America and Australia.

Dichanthium annulatum is morphologically and cytologically very variable. For details of its variation see Mehra & Celarier in Proc. Okla. Acad. Sci. 38: 22-25.1958; Mehra in Fyton 17:157-166. 1961; and Mehra in Caryologia 17:545-556. 1964. The species is an excellent fodder grass eagerly sought by stock.