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

Habitat: Roadsides and waste ground.

Flowers: May-July

Origin: Introduced from Europe

Growth Duration: Biennial, Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Wind

Glabrous biennial or short-lived perennial, the hollow culms 5-12 dm. tall.

Sheaths open; auricles well-developed on most of the leaves, up to 1.5 mm. long; ligules 0.5-1.5 mm. long, membranous; blades 4-8 mm. broad, flat or slightly involute.

Inflorescence a single terminal spike 10-25 cm. long, the spikelets on opposite sides of the continuous rachis to which they are attached edgewise; spikelets 8- to 15-flowered, up to 2.5 cm. long; glume acute, 7-12 mm. long, the glume next to the rachis lacking except on the terminal floret; lemmas slightly bifid, 5-nerved, usually with a sub-terminal dorsal awn 2-8 mm. long; paleas subequal to the lemmas, firm, 2-nerved.