Tufted, stoloniferous perennial forming a close turf; culms (5-)15-100 (-150) cm high, erect or geniculately ascending, smooth. Leaf-blades 1-10 cm long, 0.5-5 mm wide, flat, smooth or scaberulous; ligule 1.5-7 mm long, blunt. Panicle linear to lanceolate or oblong, 1-13(-30) cm long, open at anthesis, after-wards contracted and often dense, frequently lobed, the branches clustered, closely divided and spiculate in the lower part; inflated tip of pedicel scabrid. Spikelets 2-3 mm long, breaking up at maturity above the persistent glumes; glumes acute, awnless, rough on the keel; lemma 1.5-2.5 mm long, very blunt, usually awnless or with a short awn from near the tip; palea half to two-thirds the length of the lemma; anthers 1-1.5 mm long.

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

Type locality: Europe.

Distribution: Pakistan (Punjab, N.W.F.P., Gilgit & Kashmir); Europe, temperate Asia and North America; introduced in Australia, New Zealand, South America etc.

An extremely variable species best recognised by the combination of stolons and a panicle which closes up after anthesis. Short rhizomes of up to 3 internodes are sometimes produced. It forms a close turf and is important in alpine pastures where it contributes significantly to the available fodder. 1500-4000 m.