A tufted perennial which spreads vigorously to form a dense mat. Popular due to its versatility, it is often used for erosion control as with tobacco, due to its nematode resistance and can produce 5-7 mt of good quality hay.

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Used in permanent pasture or as a short- to me- dium-term pasture ley to restore soil structure, improve organic matter levels, and reduce nem- atode numbers. Can also be under sown into maize. Makes good hay if cut at or just before very early flowering. Generally not suitable for silage . Provides fair standover roughage when mature, better than Cenchrus ciliaris and Pan- icum maximum due to its greater cold resis- tance and lower loss of dry leaves. Develops good ground cover and effectively controls ero- sion once established (needs regular defoliation to maintain cover). Also effectively suppresses woody regrowth provided trees and shrubs are not well established prior to planting the grass.

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Some limitations that are faced by this variety in- clude the fact that there is a short nutritive peak in many cultivars and it has fluffy seed that is dif- ficult to sow. It is not adapted to acidic and in- fertile soils as well as requiring high fertility to persist. It also has a low shade tolerance.