Loosely tufted perennial without rhizomes; culms 45-150 cm high, erect or spreading, usually stout. Leaf- blades flat, up to 60 cm long, 6-18 mm wide, bright green, smooth and glossy beneath, sometimes scaberulous above; ligule up to 2.5 mm long, with prominent glabrous falcate auricles. Panicle lanceolate to ovate, loose and nodding, 10-50cm long, the branches scabrid. Spikelets 3-10-flowered, 8-13(-20)mm long (excluding the awns); lower glume 4-7mm long, 1-3-nerved; upper glume 5-8 mm long, 3-nerved; lemmas lanceolate in side-view, 6-9mm long, minutely scaberulous, with an awn 10-18 mm long; palea scabrid along the keels; anthers 2.5-3mm long; ovary glabrous.

Fl. & Per. : July-August.

Type locality: Europe.

Distribution: Pakistan (N.W.F.P. & Kashmir); Europe and temperate Asia; intro¬duced in North America.

Giant Fescue is common in damp shady places. 1700-3300 m.