Culms erect, to 60 cm high, velvety below the nodes and panicle. Leaves grey-green, velvety; blade to 20 cm long and 15 mm wide; ligule hairy, to 3 mm long. Panicle dense, ovoid, 1–7 cm long, 1–2 cm wide; glumes equal, 8–11 mm long, plumose with hairs c. 1 mm long; lemma (to base of central awn) 3–5 mm long, shortly hairy near base only, lateral awns straight, to 10 mm long, dorsal awn flexed below midway, to 20 mm long; palea shortly bilobed, c. equal to lemma, hairy near base. Flowers Sep.–Dec.
LoM, MuM, Wim, GleP, Brid, VVP, VRiv, MuF, GipP, OtP, WaP, Gold, CVU, GGr, DunT, NIS, EGL, EGU, WPro, HSF, HNF, OtR, Strz, MonT. Also naturalised WA, SA, Qld, NSW, Tas. Also in Europe, southern Africa, the Americas, New Zealand. Locally common on coastal sand dunes and sandy soils of drier lowlands.
