Daabh is a harsh rihozomous perennial grass. Culms are stout, up to 1.2 m high. Leaf-blades are up to 65 cm long, 3.8-10.5 mm wide when unrolled. Lower leaf-sheaths are leathery, often densely flabellate towards the base of the culm. Inflorescence is up to 60 cm long. Spikes are clustered or spaced, 14 cm long. Spikelets are 3-17-flowered, narrowly ovate to linear- oblong, 3-10 mm long. Lower glume 0.7-1.5 mm long, upper glume 1.1-2.0 mm long. Lemmas are straw-coloured or suffused with purple, 1.8-2.7 mm long. Flowering: July-November.