Perennial; culms up to 60 cm high, stoloniferous, pilose for a short distance below the inflorescence. Leaf-blades flat, 2-15(20) cm long, 2.5-5 mm wide, acuminate at the apex, truncate at the base. Inflorescence of 2-8 digitate, crowded, ascending spikes, 2.5-5(8) cm long, often decurrent into the peduncle for a short distance and forming ridges on it which often bear stray spikelets. Spikelets (4-) 5-flowered, (4-)5-awned; lower glume 15-25 mm long; upper glume 23-35 mm long, shortly mucronate; lowest lemma obovate-elliptic in side-view, 2-3 mm long, pallid or dark, densely bearded on the lateral nerves almost to the base, shortly ciliate on the flanks, the awn 5-8.5 mm long; callus rounded, ciliate; 2nd lemma slightly projecting from the side of the lowest lemma, oblong, 1-2 mm long, ciliate on the margins in the upper part, with an awn 5-73 mm long; 3rd lemma a glabrous clavate scale 0.5-1.3 mm long, with an awn 3.5-6 mm long; 4th lemma a glabrous clavate scale 0.3-0.6 mm long, with an awn 3-5.5 mm long; 5th lemma a minute glabrous clavate scale 0.2 mm long, with an awn up to 1.7 mm long, or reduced to an awn about 0.4 mm long, very rarely absent.

Type: India, Bhide (K).

Distribution: Pakistan (Sind); India; Oman.