Perennial with short woody rhizomes; culms woody, suffruticosely branched throughout, erect or ascending, up to 1 m high or more (occasionally up to 2 m). Leaf-blades up to 7.5 cm long, 1-1.5 mm wide, tightly convolute, pungent (rarely up to 15 cm long and loosely rolled), glaucous, equalling or considerably shorter than the sheath; sheaths usually slightly inflated, the lower, especially those subtending branches, characteristically shedding their blade and becoming loose and brown. Panicle oblong, 5-12 cm long; rhachis with shallow angular ribs below the cupular scars, scaberulous; involucre enclosing 1 sessile spikelet, the base with a short oblong stipe 0.5-1 mm long; bristles glabrous or occasionally the inner very obscurely ciliate, the longest 7-20 mm long. Spikelets narrowly lanceolate, 6.5-8.5 mm long; lower glume half to three-quarters the length of the spikelet, acute to acuminate, 1(-3)-nerved; upper glume nearly as long as the spikelet, acute or acuminate; lemmas similar, as long as the spikelet, lanceolate-acuminate, the lower male; anther tips without a tuft of hair.

Fl. & Fr. Per.: January-April (-June), and again in September.

Type: Arabia, Forsskal (C).

Distribution: Pakistan (Sind, Baluchistan, Punjab & N.W.F.P.); North Africa; Middle East; India.

A desert plant growing on sandhills, stony ground, among rocks and in dry stream beds.