Stems are erect and slender. Lower sheaths are pubescent, and upper sheaths are glabrous. Branches are thin, flexuous, and pubescent.
Glumes are unequal.
Paleas are shorter than the lemma. Lemma pubescence, phenology, winter hardiness, height and openness of the panicle are highly variable. Several ecotypes have been identified. Downy brome is native to Eurasia and the Mediterranean region. It has spread to Europe, southern Russia, west central Asia, North America, Japan, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Iceland, and Greenland.