5 to 30 cm tall tufted or creeping, sprawling habit. Panicles 1 to 8 cm long, pyramidal in shape with 1 to 4 spreading branches at each node, the lower branches later often bet down. Spikelets pale green sometimes, pink or purple flushed.  This low grass can grow from germination to seed production in six weeks!

The panicle is clearly branched, but only one or two branches at the lowest whorl. Spikelets contain two or more florets without awns. Lemmas easily seen extending beyond glume tips.

Almost anywhere.

All year round.

Annual.

Abundant throughout Britain, and one of the world's most successful plants.

Abundant in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 604 of the 617 tetrads.