Rhizomatous perennial; culms 20-60 cm high, slender, erect or ascending. Leaf-blades linear-lanceolate, 4-20 cm long, 2-6 mm wide, flat, puberulous above; ligule truncate, 0.2-03 mm long; sheaths scaberulous, the lower purplish. Panicle 4-20 cm long, lax, simple or sparingly branched below, the spikelets secund and eventually nodding. Spikelets oblong-elliptic, 6-8 mm long, with 2-3 fertile florets; glumes ovate to elliptic, obtuse, slightly unequal, 4-6 mm long; lemma of fertile floret elliptic to elliptic-oblong, 5-7 mm long, obtuse, strongly 7-9-nerved, scaberulous, not shining.

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

Type locality: Europe.

Distribution: Kashmir; Europe and northern Asia.