Stoloniferous sward-forming perennial; culms erect or geniculately ascending, up to 60 cm high. Leaf-blades 5-30 cm long, 2.5-5 mm wide, the lower shorter than the upper and crowded at the base of the culm. Inflorescence subdigitate, bearing 3-8 (-13) shortly pedunculate racemes; racemes 2.5-5 (-7.5) cm long (the lowest longer than the central axis), pilose. Sessile spikelet narrowly elliptic, 3.5-4.5 mm long; lower glume firmly cartilaginous, ± hairy below the middle, glossy, pitted above the middle with a deep circular pit or 2-pitted, the second pit at or about the middle, blunt, slightly shorter than the pointed upper glume; awn 15-20 mm long. Pedicelled spikelet glabrous on the back, pitless or rarely pitted.

Type locality: India.

Distribution: Pakistan (Punjab & Kashmir); Arabia eastwards. to Southeast Asia;? tropical Africa.

Bothriochloa pertusa is very similar to the mainly African Bothriochloa insculpta, differing mainly in its fewer and shorter racemes and its more stoloniferous, less robust habit. Plants approaching Bothriochloa insculpta occur in India but DeWet & Higgins (in Phyton 20:205-211, 1963) believe that these should be considered as a variety of Bothriochloa pertusa. Similarly they feel that African plants resembling Bothriochloa pertusa should be considered as a variety of Bothriochloa insculpta. Apparently the two species are genetically isolated and do not interbreed (DeWet & Higgins, l.c.). Were it not for this fact there might be some doubt as to whether they can be maintained as two species. A purely geographical distinction without adequate discriminatory morphological characters is, however, clearly unsatisfactory.

Bothriochloa pertusa is highly esteemed as a fodder grass and can also be made into hay. It will stand up to constant grazing and trampling and is able to withstand moderate periods of drought. In many specimens the culms creep about on the surface of the soil and root at the nodes.