Briza media is a perennial grass whose common names include quaking grass, cow-quake, didder, dithering-grass, shaking-grass, totter-grass and wag-wantons - and many more! The species is characterised by fine stems and distinctive hop-like green and purple spikelets that dry to a translucent golden straw colour. These sway and glisten in the breeze, reflecting the light and giving rise to the many descriptive common names, which I'm sure are similar in other languages. Most people will recognise it when they see the drooping seed heads.

It is a loosely tufted perennial with short rhizomes arising from vegetative shoots. The leaves are hairless, dull glaucous to mid-green and usually between 4 and 20 cm long and 2 to 4 cm wide. It flowers in early summer, the time varying according to soil and spring rainfall.

Briza media is common in central and southern Europe and is a characteristic species of unimproved species-rich grasslands, grazed calcareous grasslands and pastures. It is reported to be a poor competitor and often performs better when planted on rubble slopes, quarry soils and roadside verges where there is less competition from more vigorous plant species.

Predominantly a calcareous grassland species, it provides good habitat for insects and its seeds are eaten by many farmland birds.