Culms erect or geniculate at base, rather stout, 1–1.5 m tall, 4–5-noded. Leaf sheaths loose, glabrous; leaf blades 14–30 cm, 3–9 mm wide, scabrid or abaxial surface smooth, apex acuminate; ligule 1–3 mm, obtuse or truncate. Panicle lanceolate to oblong in outline, loose to rather dense, 10–25 cm, greenish or purplish, shining; branches clustered,scabrid. Spikelets oblong, 7–9 mm, florets separated by short rachilla internode not more than 0.6 mm; glumes lanceolate, apex acute; lower glume 4–6 mm, upper glume equal to spikelet, punctiform scabrid; lemmas oblong-lanceolate, 7–9 mm, sparsely pubescent in lower 1/3 or glabrous, scabrid in upper 1/3; awn of lower lemma 1–2 cm, arising from lower 1/3 of lemma back; awn of upper lemma 1–2 mm, arising above middle or near apex. Anthers 4–5 mm. 2n = 28.

Introduced to China as an ornamental garden plant and for forage [native to Russia; N Africa, SW Asia, Europe; introduced to Australia and North America].