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

Habitat: Disturbed areas such as meadows, fields, roadsides, and forest edges; common forage plant; also planted in logged areas in the mountains.

Flowers: June-August

Origin: Introduced from Eurasia and northern Africa

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Wind

Strongly tufted perennial, the culms hollow, up to 12 dm. tall.

Sheaths closed, usually glabrous; ligules 3-9 mm. long, sparsely pubescent, the upper half usually turned back and split in several places; blades flat, 3-11 mm. broad, the two margins freed from the sheath at different levels.

Inflorescence a dense panicle 3-15 cm. long; spikelets usually 3-flowered, one-sided, compressed, 5-9 mm. long; glumes 4-6 mm. long, keeled, the first lopsided, 2-nerved, with stiff hairs along the keel, the second about equal to the first, narrower, 1-nerved, both with a soft, short, awn-like tip; lemmas 5-8 mm. long, with an awn tip about 1 mm. long