Coast button grass is a glaucous annual with culms up to 70cm high, not stoloniferous, but often rooting from the lower nodes. The plant can form a mat with short underground stems.The seed is sometimes harvested from the wild for food, but generally only in times of scarcity. The plant also has local medicinal uses.
The plant colonizes disturbed soils and can become a weed - it is classified as 'Invasive' in many countries
