A tall (60 to 200 cm) grass. It is erect, hairless, stout stemmed and densely tufted. The leaves are stiff, broad (to 10 mm) with rough edges. The stem base is clothed with tough, whitish sheaths. The auricles are large and hairy at first, though the hairs soon wear away. The shorter branch at each whorl of the inflorescence often bears 4 spikelets (S. pratensis only has 1 or 2). Lemmas are strongly veined, with sharp pointed or shortly awned tips.

Meadow Fescue is similar, but usually much smaller and finer

The panicle is branched. Each spikelet contains three or more florets which are awned. The lowest whorl has two branches, the shorter of which has three or more spikelets. When young the auricles are ciliate.

Banks of rivers and streams, damp meadows, damp or shaded roadside verges.

Flowers June to August.

Perennial.

Widespread and fairly frequent in Britain.

Fairly frequent though sometimes local in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 272 of the 617 tetrads.