Perennial from scaly creeping rhizomes. Culms 50-150 cm tall. Leaf-blades up to 20 cm long and 15 mm wide. Panicle 7-40 cm long, dense, lobed or interrupted, with short branches up to 5 cm long, these spreading at anthesis but otherwise contracted about the main axis. Glumes 3.5-7.5 mm long, acute, wingless or with a very narrow and inconspicuous wing on the keel; sterile florets 2, subulate, 1.2-2.3 mm long, villous; fertile floret lanceolate, 2.7-4.5 mm long, dull yellow to grey-brown, sparsely pubescent.

Fl. & Fr. Per.: May-July.

Type: Sweden (LINN).

Distribution: Pakistan (Punjab & Kashmir); North temperate regions, now intro¬duced to most parts of the world.

Reed Canary Grass is found growing on stream banks and in marshes. It is said by Hubbard to be a good grazing or hay grass when young. Probably native in Pakistan and Kashmir.