Since hybrid ryegrass inherits persistence from the perennial ryegrass parent, it lasts longer than Italian ryegrass and can be used for several years. Its growth is similar to that of Italian ryegrass. Hybrid ryegrass has the same requirements as Italian ryegrass and consequently is typically found in regions with humid climates. Sowings on pasture leys can persist for 3 to 4 years. The leafy growth has a feed value of 8, the same as Italian ryegrass, but with the advantage of greater persistence.
The characteristic features of the leaf, culm and inflorescence are almost identical to those of Italian ryegrass. Any variations depend on the relative contribution of each parent. The number of awned florets varies depending on the cultivar. Depending on the proportion of perennial ryegrass and Italian ryegrass parentage, individual cultivars may tend more towards one than the other.
| Leaf | Emerging leaf rolled, leaf sheath open, underside of leaf very shiny, ligule short, white and smooth-edged, auricles broad, well-defined and enclosing the stem, leaf blade moderately wide (approx. 10 mm) light to dark green. Pronounced ribs on upper side of leaf. |
| Culm | Base of culm red, erect approx. 100 cm tall. |
| Inflorescence | Long, loosely packed spikes with approx. 20–30 spikelets, multiflorous, heavily awned lemmas on individual spikelets. Spikelets with narrow side facing the axis. The terminal spikelet has 2 glumes, but the inner glume is absent in the other spikelets. |
| Fruit | Grain approx. 5–7 mm long; pedicel angular; lemma curved in the upper half, long awn (not present in Lolium perenne, frequently rubbed off during seed processing). TSW 1.8–4.6 g (tetraploid varieties have higher TSW). |
very high yield potential