Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.

Habitat: Fields, roadsides, wastelots, and other disturbed areas.

Flowers: May-September

Origin: Introduced from Eurasia

Growth Duration: Annual

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Wind

Annuals, the culms to 1 m. tall, hollow.

Sheaths open; ligules 3-6 mm. long, obtuse to acute, puberulent; blades 3-10 mm. broad, scabrous, often with a few long hairs.

Inflorescence a large, open panicle, the spikelets pendulous; spikelets usually 3-flowered, the rachilla readily disarticulating between the florets, strongly bearded; glumes membranous, the first 7-nerved, the second 9-nerved; lemmas densely bearded on the callus, the upper portion greenish, but the tip membranous and acutely bilobed for 1 mm.; first 2 florets with twisted, strongly-bent awns up to 4 cm. long; lodicules 2 mm. long.

Utricle