Russia Flora: Plant 200—300 cm tall. Sheaths glabrous; leaf blades 20—80 mm wide, flat; ligule ciliate. Panicle 10—20 cm long, oval or ovate-oblong, relatively loose, erect, with primary branches branched almost from their very base, main axis of panicle longer than lateral branches. Spikelets 4—5.5 mm long, sessile spikelets obovate (widened toward apex), rarely almost rounded, obtuse. Lower glume at apex with relatively inconspicuous veins, without wrinkles, blackish. Lower lemma of fertile spikelet with awn 5—12 mm long. Caryopses whitish, protruding from glumes.

Cultivated as forage and grain crop in Amur, Khabarovsk and Primorye. Native range — apparently Mediterranean.

Note. In Primorye, Sudan grass (S. sudanense (Piper) Stapf) is also approved for cultivation.