Plants perennial; densely tufted, not rhizomatous, not stolon-iferous. Basal branching intra-vaginal. Culms 15–60 cm, erect or spreading, bases bulbous. Sheaths closed for about 1/4 their length, terete, lowest sheaths with swollen bases; ligules 1–3 mm, smooth or scabrous, apices obtuse to acute; blades 1–2.5 mm wide, flat, thin, lax, soon withering. Panicles 3–12 cm, ovoid; nodeswith 2–5 branches; branches ascending to spreading, terete, usually smooth or sparsely scabrous, infrequently moderately scabrous. Spikelets 3–5 mm, laterally compressed, usually bulbiferous; florets 3–7, the basal floret, and sometimes additional florets, normal; rachilla internodes smooth, glabrous. Glumes keeled, keels scabrous; lower glumes 3-veined; upper glumesshorter than or subequal to the lowest lemmas; calluses webbed or glabrous; lemmas 3–4 mm, lanceolate, keeled, glabrous or the keels and marginal veins short- to long-villous, intercostal regions glabrous or softly puberulent, apices acute; paleas scabrous, keels often softly puberulent at midlength; anthers 1.2–1.5 mm and functional, sometimes aborted late in development, sometimes not developed. 2n = 14, 21, 28, 39, 42, 45.
Poa bulbosa is a European species that is now established in the Flora region. In southern Europe and the Middle East, it is considered an important early spring forage.