Loosely tufted or shortly rhizomatous perennial. Culms to 80 cm high. Leaves glabrous to sparsely hairy; blade flat, folded or inrolled, to 15 cm long and c. 1 mm wide (alpine forms often with short, flat blade to 2.5 mm wide). Panicle linear, often interrupted and appearing racemose, 5–15 cm long. Spikelets not or scarcely purplish, 6–10-flowered; glumes subequal, acute, 7–18 mm long; lemma 4–6 mm long, with hairs in two series, the upper reduced to 2 sparse dorsal tufts, with more prominent marginal tufts (occasionally the dorsal tufts lacking, or rarely, the upper series almost complete), the lower series complete with hairs approaching the upper series, callus elongate (at least in upper florets), 1.5–2 mm long, the hair-tufts mostly not reaching the lower series of the lemma body; lateral lobes erect, 5–9 mm long, rather broad below midway and suddenly contacted to the setiform part (occasionally developing auricle-like lobes in the tapering section); central awn exceeding lateral lobes by 4–8 mm; palea lanceolate to narrowly obovate, exceeding sinus by 1–2.5 mm. Flowers mainly Sep.–Jan.
LoM, MuM, Wim, GleP, VVP, VRiv, MuF, GipP, OtP, WaP, Gold, CVU, GGr, DunT, NIS, EGL, EGU, WPro, HSF, HNF, OtR, Strz, MonT, VAlp. Also WA, SA, Qld, NSW, ACT, Tas. With the exception of the north-west of the State, widespread and common, tolerating a wide range of environments and sometimes a major component in mixed-species grasslands. Often persisting on cleared or cultivated land.
