Densely tufted perennial; culms (12-)25-80 cm high. Leaf-blades flat or rolled, up to 20 cm long, 1-3 mm wide, pubescent on the upper surface, scaberulous or rarely pubescent beneath. Panicle usually contracted but occasionally lax, 4-17 cm long, the branches erect or ascending, the longest about a third the length of the panicle. Spikelets lanceolate, 5-10 mm long; lemma narrowly lanceolate or almost linear, 4-6.5 mm long, acute at the tip, covered all over by stiff white hairs 0.2-04 mm long; awn (1.5-)2.5-4.5(-6) mm long, exserted from the glumes, terminal, deciduous or subpersistent; anthers 2-3.5 mm long, their tips usually bearded.

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

Type: Afghanistan , Aitchison (K, LE).

Distribution: Pakistan (N.W.F P. & Kashmir); throughout the Middle East as for north in as the Pamirs.

A common species further west in alpine and subalpine regions. It is not as common in Pakistan as once thought due to confusion with Piptatherum gracile. Stapf (in Hook.f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 7:234) gave the name Oryzopis lateralis to a large number of specimens which he accurately described. Unfortunately the description is clearly that of Piptatherum gracile and most of the material cited as Oryzopis lateralis in this and other works (including Flora Iranica) likewise belongs to this taxon.