A hairless grass with creeping and rooting stems. It has very tapered leaves, and much branched inflorescence 10 to 45 cm long, with spreading side branches. The spikelets are only 10 to 15 mm.

other Glyceria

Smaller lemmas (3.5 - 5mm) than G fluitans, not toothed at apex; panicles more branched and broader than G declinata, which also has small but toothed lemmas

An image showing the flowering shoots with detail of the lemma tips. Ideally an image of a ruler alongside the lemma to show length, or a comment describing this. A voucher specimen may be needed.

At the edge of fresh water ponds and wet ditches.

May to July.

Perennial.

Fairly common throughout Britain.

Frequent in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 249 of the 617 tetrads.