Tufted annual; culms up to 40 cm high, but usually much less, geniculately ascending, rarely erect, glabrous with the upper internodes smooth or scabrid or rarely pubescent throughout. Leaf-blades up to 12 cm long and 4 mm wide, flat, lanceolate-acuminate, rather stiff, glaucous; loosely pilose, scabrid-pectinate on the margins, sheaths loosely to densely pilose. Inflorescence with 1-3 spikelets crowded at the tip of the peduncle. Spikelets 2-3 cm long, slightly compressed, oblong-lanceolate, 10-16-flowered, glaucous; glumes unequal, hairy or glabrous, the lower lanceolate, acute, 5-6 mm long, 5-nerved, the upper lanceolate-oblong, acute, 7-8 mm long, 7-nerved; lemmas lanceolate-oblong, involute, 7.5-10 mm long, glabrous or with a few stiff bristles to pubescent, tipped by an awn up to 15 mm long; anthers 0.5-1 mm long.

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

Type locality: Southern Europe, Orient.

Distribution: Pakistan (Punjab, N.W.F.P. & Kashmir); Mediterranean region; South west and Central Asia; introduced elsewhere.