Tufted perennial with creeping rhizomes; culms 60-200 cm high, erect, rather stout, rough beneath the panicle. Leaf-blades up to 70 cm long, 3-14 (-20) mm wide, flat or weakly convolute, firm ± scaberulous; ligule 4-12 mm long, acute becoming lacerate. Panicle erect, narrowly lanceolate to oblong, 15-30 cm long, dense to very dense and spike-like, often tinged with purple. Spikelets 4.5-7 mm long, the rhachilla not or rarely shortly prolonged; glumes subequal, linear-lanceolate, scaberulous; lemma about half the length of the glumes, smooth, 2-toothed at the tip; awn 1-2.5 mm long, arising at or near the middle of the lemma, scarcely projecting beyond the glume tips; callus hairs 2-3 times the length of the floret.

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

Type: Europe (LINN).

Distribution: Pakistan (N.W.F.P. & Kashmir); throughout Europe eastwards to eastern Asia; var. capensis Stapf in East and South Africa.

A plant of dryish habitats of little account as fodder. 1800-4000 m.