Annual; culms tufted or solitary, 2-20(-40) cm high. Leaf-blades up to 10, rarely to 18cm long, 3-6 mm wide, flat or subinvolute. Panicle 3.5-6(-9) cm long, 2-3.5(-5) cm wide including the awns. Spikelets narrowly oblong, 20-40 (-60) mm long including the awns; glumes hyaline, glabrous, the lower narrowly lanceolate, 6-7 mm long, 1-3-nerved, the upper lanceolate, 6.5-8 mm long, 5-7-nerved; lemmas oblong, acute, coriaceous with hyaline tip, 10.5-12(-13) mm long, hairy or glabrous; awns up to 20 mm long, those on the upper lemmas lodger than those on the lower, often purple-tinged; palea as long as the lemma but narrower; anthers 0.5 mm long.

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

Type: Syria, Russell (BM).

Distribution; Pakistan (Baluchistan); westwards to the Mediterranean region; Central Asia.

A common desert grass enjoyed by sheep, goats, mules and camels.