Perennial with trailing culms 15-50 cm long. Leaf-blades narrowly lanceolate to narrowly ovate, 1-7 cm long, 4-15 mm wide. Inflorescence 2-8 cm long, comprising 5-11 cuneate fascicles of 2-6 spikelets, or rarely the lower most forming a short raceme. Spikelets lanceolate, 2.5-4 mm long, glabrous to sparsely pubescent; glumes with smooth viscid awns, the longest in each fascicle 7-14 mm long.

Fl. & Fr. Per.: August-September.

Type: Italy, Ardiuno..

Distribution: Pakistan (Punjab & Kashmir); warm temperate regions of the northern hemisphere, extending southwards on the uplands of Africa to South Africa; India.

Oplismenus undulatifolius intergrades to a large extent with Oplismenus compositus. Indeed these two species and the tropical Oplismenus hirtellus are little more than facies within a continuum. Nevertheless, the combination of spikelet clumps (rather than racemes) and long awns is characteristic of specimens of Oplismenus undulatifolius from temperate regions, whose separation as an entity does seem justified. The boundaries, however, are by no means distinct and depauperate inflorescences of the other two species may lead to confusion. Little more can be done with this complex until its cytology is known.

Oplismenus undulatifolius is another forest species.