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

Habitat: Disturbed areas, especially moist, open meadows, from coast to midmontane.

Flowers: May-July

Origin: Introduced from Eurasia

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Wind

Tufted perennial, the culms up to 1 m. tall, bulbous at the base.

Sheaths open, glabrous; ligules 2-3 mm. long, entire, obtuse; blades flat, 4-8 mm. broad, scabrous-margined.

Inflorescence a spike-like, cylindric panicle 5-10 cm. long; spikelets 1-flowered, strongly flattened; glumes 3-4 mm. long with hairs on the keel, abruptly truncate and with a stout awn 1-1.5 mm. long; lemmas pubescent, 2 mm. long, the mid-nerve prolonged as a short bristle; paleas subequal to the lemmas, 2-nerved.