Low growing, tufted annual or short-lived perennial grass to 30 cm tall. Leaf folded in bud. Leaf blade soft, hairless, margins slightly rough and hyaline, with canoeshaped tip. Ligule 0.8-3.0 mm long, thin, membranous, milky white. Sheath flattened, slightly keeled, hairless, whitish at base. Inflorescence a small, open greenish-white panicle, triangular to ovate, mostly 5-10 cm long, open to fairly condensed. Spikelets with 3-10 florets; winter to spring. Glumes ridged, 1-3 nerved. Lemmas 3-4 mm long, 5 nerved, mostly hairy below the middle.
Europe
A widespread weed in cultivated areas, wasteland and disturbed sites, but some cultivars developed for lawns, putting and bowling greens.
The native P. labillardierei Steud., Common Tussock Grass, has become very popular as a roadside planting in some areas and although not suitable for turf or pasture it is a fine ornamental species.
Source: (2005). Poaceae. In: . Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 5. Flowering plants. Monocotyledons. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.