Loosely tufted perennial, often with extensively creeping stolons but without rhizomes; culms 20-100cm high, erect or spreading from a procumbent base. Leaf-blades flat, 3-20cm long, 2-4.5(-6)mm wide, rather thin and flaccid, abruptly and sharply pointed, scabrid on the margins and both surfaces, sometimes nearly smooth and shining; ligule pointed, 3.5-10mm long. Panicle ovate-pyra¬midal, (9-)15-25cm long, erect or nodding, very loose or contracted and rather dense; branches in clusters of 3-5(-7) at the lower nodes, scabrid. Spikelets 3-4-flowered, ovate or oblong, 3-4mm long, green, purplish or reddish; glumes unequal, the lower lanceolate, 2-3mm long, 1-nerved, the upper ovate, 2.5-3.5 mm long, 3-nerved; lemmas narrowly oblong in side view, 2.5-3.5mm long, acute, usually ciliate only on the keel, woolly at the base; palea a little shorter than the lemma, scabrid along the keels; anthers 1.5-2mm long.

Fl. & Fr. Per.: July-August.

Type locality: Europe.

Distribution: Pakistan (Baluchistan, N.W.F.P. & Kashmir); widespread in temperate regions of the northern hemisphere; extensively introduced elsewhere.

Rough Meadow-grass is so named from its characteristically scaberulous leaf-sheaths. 1700-2700m.