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

Habitat: Sloughs, damp meadows and stream borders.

Flowers: June-August

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Wind

Strongly rhizomatous perennial, the culms 9-16 dm. tall.

Sheaths smooth, completely closed, or open up to 1 cm.; ligules 4-9 mm. long, obtuse, entire; blades flat, firm, 6-15 mm. broad.

Inflorescence a loose, open panicle 2-3.5 dm. long, the branches spreading, numerous; spikelets loosely 5- to 6-flowered, oblong in outline; glumes papery, lanceolate, 1-nerved, the first about 1.6-1.7 mm. long, the second, 2.5 mm. long; lemmas 2.5-2.7 mm. long, purplish, blunt, prominently 7-nerved to the scarious upper margin, the nerves non-convergent; paleas about equal to the lemmas, abruptly notched; stamens 3, or occasionally 2.