Perennial or annual, small, stemless herb, up to 15 (-20) cm tall, hirsute; hairs more or less appressed. Leaves oblong-lanceolate, 8-10 (-12) cm long, 1 (-1.8) cm broad, pinnatidentate to (bi-) pinnatifid; segments linear to lanceolate, acute. Scapes 5-8 cm long, ascendent or erect, longer to sometimes shorter than the leaves. Spikes narrow cylindrical. Bracts ovate, acute to acuminate, narrowly margined, covered with short appressed hairs. Anterior sepals narrow to broad elliptic, 2-2.75 mm long, margin, ciliolate, carinate, posterior sepals ovate, broad, up to 3 mm long. Corolla tube pilose. Seeds 4-5.

The type subsp. has scapes thin to moderately thick. Spikes narrow cylindrical, lax to more or less dense. Bracts scarcely shorter, usually longer than the calyx; carina in the bracts and anterior sepal moderately broad. It is probably confind to Pakistan.

Type: “Hab. in Europe glariosis” (LINN).

Distribution of species: Europe from southern Scandinavia to England and Mediterranian regions to Western Asia. Introduced in North America, Australia and New Zealand; Pakistan, Waziristan (Blatter et al).