Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains.

Habitat: Moist sandy or gravelly banks and slopes, and borders of streams and lakes.

Flowers: June-July

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Wind

Perennial with tufted basal leaves and several hollow culms 2.5-8 dm. tall.

Sheaths open, usually glabrous; ligules pointed, 3-9 mm. long, puberulent, usually split; blades usually glabrous, the basal filiform, only 2-4 cm. long, the cauline flat or folded, up to 1.5 mm. broad.

Inflorescence a narrow panicle 5-30 cm. long, pale greenish to purplish, the slender branches ascending; spikelets 2-flowered; glumes subequal, acuminate, 3-nerved, 3-5.5 mm. long, usually exceeding the upper flower; lemmas 2-3 mm. long, smooth and shining, blunt, awned from just below mid-length, the awn 3-4 mm. long, straight; paleas subequal to the lemmas; callus bearded with hairs half as long as the lemmas; rachilla prolonged beyond the uppermost flower.