Perennial tufts of variable habit, to c. 100 cm, spreading by long stolons, sometimes low-growing and trailing, or turf-forming, sometimes loosely or densely tufted; branching intra- and/or extravaginal, the intravaginal shoots often trailing and elongating as stolons or sometimes erect, the extravaginal shoots at once ascending with 2-3 scale leaves at base. Leaf-sheath smooth or slightly scabrid, green or purple-tinged. Ligule (1)-2-6 mm, rounded, fimbriate, taller than wide. Leaf-blade 1-20 cm ×c. 1-8 mm, flat, minutely scabrid on ribs, tip acute. Culm geniculate to rarely erect, or trailing and branching, rooting at lower nodes, internodes glabrous. Panicle 3-28 × 0.5-2.5-(6) cm, lanceolate to ovate, lax at flowering, later ± contracted with branches ± erect and appressed to rachis; rachis smooth, branches and pedicels scabrid. Spikelets 1.5-2.5-(3) mm, greenish or yellowish, becoming brownish or purplish. Glumes ± unequal, elliptic-lanceolate, sometimes slightly scabrid above, acute to acuminate, midnerve scabrid above. Lemma 1.3-2 mm, ± truncate, smooth to ± scabrid below, 5-nerved, nerves sometimes scabrid, outer lateral nerves usually slightly excurrent, apex minutely lobed above inner lateral nerves, midnerve not reaching lemma apex, usually terminating as an extremely minute projection in upper ⅓ of lemma, or midnerve rarely produced as a short, subterminal awn. Palea usually ½ to ⅔ length of lemma, apex usually obtuse, rarely shallowly notched. Callus glabrous or with very few minute hairs. Anthers 0.9-1.5 mm. Caryopsis c. 1 × 0.4 mm. Plate 2B.

Perennial tufts of variable habit, to c. 100 cm tall, spreading by long, overground stolons, sometimes low-growing and trailing, or turf-forming, sometimes loosely or densely tufted; branching intra- and/or extravaginal, the intravaginal shoots often trailing and elongating as stolons or sometimes erect, the extravaginal shoots at once ascending with 2-3 scale leaves at base. Sheaths smooth or slightly scabrous, green or purple-tinged; ligule (l)-2-6 mm, rounded and fimbriate across top, longer than wide; lamina 1- 20 cm × c. I-8 mm, flat, minutely scabrous along nerves, tip acute. Culms geniculate to rarely erect, or trailing and branching, rooting at lower nodes, smooth. Panicle 3-28 × 0.5-2.5-(6) cm, lanceolate to ovate with spreading branches at flowering, later ± contracted with branches ± erect and appressed to rachis; rachis smooth, branchlets and pedicels scabrous. Spikelets 1.5-2.5-(3) mm, greenish or yellowish, becoming brownish or purplish. Glumes ± unequal, the upper slightly shorter, elliptic-lanceolate, midnerve scabrous above, surface sometimes slightly scabrous near acute to acuminate tip. Lemma 1.3- 2 mm, ± truncate, 5-nerved, smooth to ± scabrous below and sometimes scabrous on nerves, outer lateral nerves usually slightly excurrent and a minute lobe usually opposite each inner lateral nerve, the midnerve not reaching top of lemma and usually ending in an extremely minute projection c. 2/3 way up lemma, or midnerve rarely produced as a short, subterminal awn. Palea usually ½ to 2/3 length of lemma, usually obtuse, rarely shallowly notched at top. Callus glabrous or with very few minute hairs. Anthers 0.9- 1.5 mm. Caryopsis c. 1 × 0.4 mm. 2n = 28. Naturalised in New Zealand from Europe, temperate Asia, North America.