Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Oregon, east to Alberta, Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota; also in eastern Canada.

Habitat: Moist woods from the lowlands to middle elevations in the mountains.

Flowers: June-August

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Wind

Tufted perennial, the culms 6-13 dm. tall, not bulbous at the base.

Sheaths closed to the top, glabrous to pubescent; ligules 3-9 mm. long, truncate to obtuse, closed in front until split; blades flat, lax, 5-10 mm. broad, with prominent, wide-spaced nerves.

Inflorescence an open panicle 12-30 cm. long, the branches solitary, distant, drooping, bearing a few spikelets above mid-length; spikelets loosely 4- to 6-flowered; rachilla joints about 3 mm. long; glumes narrow, the first 5-6 mm. long, apparently 1-nerved, the second 8-9 mm. long, distinctly 3-nerved; lemmas strongly 7-nerved, about 10 mm. long, bifid at the apex for about 1 mm. with an awn 4-7 mm. long from between the teeth; paleas 2/3 as long as the lemmas; spikelets with 2-several perfect flowers, but the upper 2-4 flowers sterile, forming a spindle-like body about 5 mm. long.