Tufted perennial or annual, culms sprawling, geniculate or erect, mostly to 60 cm high. Leaf-blades flat, to 20 cm long, 2–12 mm broad, margins minutely scabrous, often undulate toward base; ligules membranous, laciniate, 1–5 mm long. Inflorescence an open panicle, 10–40 cm long, the spikelets usually remaining more or less appressed to panicle branches. Spikelets 3.5–4.5 mm long; glumes ovate, the lower 1.5–2.2 mm long, the upper 1.8–3.0 mm long, green and glabrous; lower sterile lemma obtuse, slightly longer than upper glume, smooth; upper sterile lemma obtuse, transversely ridged toward the apex, both lemmas glabrous or with a few short hairs near base; fertile lemma slightly shorter than upper sterile lemma, smooth and strongly keeled. Flowers all year, mostly Sep.–Mar.
LoM, Wim, GleP, Brid, VVP, VRiv, MuF, GipP, OtP, WaP, Gold, CVU, GGr, DunT, NIS, EGL, EGU, WPro, HSF, HNF, OtR, Strz, VAlp. All States except NT. Indigenous to southern Africa. Occurs primarily on sandy soils, but also on loams and clays, through cooler parts of the State. A very common weed of suburban gardens, and a serious environmental weed.
