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

Habitat: Lawns, roadsides and wastland, usually where moist.

Flowers: July-September

Origin: Introduced from Eurasia

Growth Duration: Annual

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Wind

Spreading annual, tending to root at the nodes, the culms hollow, glabrous, 1-3 dm. tall.

Sheaths open; ligules truncate, 1-2 mm. long; blades flat, 2-4 mm. broad, glabrous or slightly scabrous, the margins turned upward at the base and fused with the ligule.

Inflorescence of 3-6 digitate racemes 3-7 cm. long; articulate below the glumes; spikelets 2-flowered, the lower sterile, paired on one side of a triangular rachis; first glume translucent and semicircular, barely 0.3 mm. long; second glume and sterile lemma about 2 mm. long; fertile lemma and palea about equal, hardened, smooth; stamens 3.