Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Great Plains, also in northeastern North America.

Habitat: Streambanks and meadows at higher elevations.

Flowers: June-August

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Wind

Tufted perennials, the culms 1.5-5 dm. tall, often decumbent

Sheaths open, glabrous; auricles small or lacking; ligules 1-3 mm. long, truncate and entire; blades flat, 4-7 mm. broad, scabrous on the margins.

Inflorescence a spike-like, cylindric panicle 1-4.5 cm. long; spikelets 1-flowered, strongly flattened; glumes pubescent, 3.5-4.5 mm. long, with a stout, terminal awn 1.5-2.5 mm. long; lemmas thin, 2-2.5 mm. long, puberulent, with 5 nerves prolonged into short teeth; palea subequal to the lemma, 2-nerved.