Harsh tussocky rihozomatous perennial; culms stout, up to 1.2 m high. Leaf-blades up to 65 cm long, 3.8-10.5 mm wide when unrolled; lower leaf-sheaths leathery, often densely flabellate towards the base of the culm. Inflorescence up to 60 cm long; spikes clustered or spaced, 14 cm long. Spikelets 3-17-flowered, narrowly ovate to linear-oblong, 3-10 mm long; lower glume 0.7-1.5 mm long, upper glume 1.1-2.0 mm long; lemmas straw-coloured or suffused with purple, 1.8-2.7 mm long.

Fl. & Fr. Per. July-October or November.

Type: Egypt, Hasselquist.

Distribution: Pakistan (Sind, Baluchistan, Punjab, N.W.F.P. & Kashmir); through-out the Middle East to Indo-China; North and tropical Africa.

On account of the existence of the genus Desmostachys Planch. (Olacinaceae, 1882) the new generic name Stapfiola was proposed by Kuntze (1903) for Desmostachya Stapf. This new name has not been generally accepted and it is expressly stated in the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (1961 edition, Art. 75) that Desmostachya is not likely to be confused with Desmostachys and is therefore to be maintained as a valid generic name. Opinions about the economic usefulness of this grass vary. Duthie reports that cattle will not normally eat it although buffalo do, while Blatter & McCann point out that in Afghanistan it is considered to be a good fodder gross.