[1][3] It grows in dry places especially near the coast in Western Europe (Ireland, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy) and northern Africa (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia).

The leaves grow from the base of the plant and are up to 30 cm (12 in) long; they are narrow, linear and grass-like, and sometimes curl.

The inflorescence is a sparsely-branched, erect, wiry stem bearing a few small leaves and a loose spike of three to ten flowers with six tepals.

The only place in the British Isles where it is found is in County Kerry in southwestern Ireland, where it is restricted to a 20 km2 (7.7 sq mi) area around Derrynane.

It is also common in the coastal strip of the Iberian Peninsula, and was discovered growing on the island of Marettimo, Sicily, for the first time in 2012.