A tufted, perennial, warm season grass which may reach 1.5m in height. Inflorescences are panicles, reddish to purple in colour and produce a pleasant fragrance when crushed. Leaves glaucous or green.

Scented Top is a common component of grasslands on forest soils in NSW and Qld. It's a soft, palatable and attractive Australian native grass which may be ignored for its value in commercial pastures. It may persist under competition from number of invasive species, may flower several times a year, can be cut for hay and establishes well in rehabilitiation. Scented Top often co-occurs with Bothriochloa bladhii to which it is considered closely related and with which it will introgress. The two grasses are sometimes confused possibly owing to the reddish colour of inflorescences and behavioural similarities. Other native grasses commonly occuring with Capillipedium include Dicanthium sericeum (Queensland Bluegrass), Bothriochloa decipiens (Pitted Bluegrass), Heteropogon contortus (Black Speargrass), Cymbopogon refractus (Barbed-Wire Grass), Themeda triandra (Kangaroo Grass) and Aristida spp (Three-Awn Grasses). Exotic grasses found with Scented Top in grazed situations are often Rhodes Grass and the weed, Eragrostis curvula (African Love Grass). Capillipedium will compete with the latter except with severe, long term, over-grazing. In the north of its range, Bothriochloa insculpta cultivars such as Bisset and Hatch often establish well on similar country.

Recognition of notable fodder value was not granted to Capillipedium in the Queensland Department of Primary Production publication, Flora of South-eastern Queensland, Vol. 3 (Stanley and Ross, 1989).

Stanley,T.D, and Ross, E.M. (1989). Flora of South Eastern Queensland, Volume 3. 108. Capillipedium, 252-253.