Plants perennial, often flower-ing the first year. Culms to 100 cm, erect or decumbent at the base. Sheathssmooth, glabrous; ligules 4–8 mm, scabridulous, lacerate; blades 10–30 cm long, 4–15 mm wide. Panicles10–30 cm, erect or nodding, inter-rupted, dense; pedicels not developed; stipes 1.5–2.5 mm. Glumes 3–5 mm, hispidulous, tapering from about midlength to the acute apices, apices unlobed, awned, awns 1–3 mm; lemmas about 1.5 mm, awned, awns 1–2 mm, arising from above midlength; paleas 1/2–2/3 as long as the lemmas; anthers 0.5–0.7 mm. 2n = 28, 56.

Polypogon elongatus is native from Mexico to Argentina. It now grows at scattered locations in the Floraregion, primarily in California.