Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Oregon, east to Montana and Colorado.

Habitat: Sandy to rocky soil, mountain meadows to subalpine and alpine ridges and slopes.

Flowers: June-August

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Wind

Strongly tufted perennial, the culms 1-3 dm. tall, hollow.

Sheaths open, usually smooth; ligules 3-4 mm. long, acute; blades scarcely 1 mm. broad, strongly involute, erect.

Inflorescence a very narrow panicle 3-6 cm. long, the few, short branches stiffly erect; spikelets 1-flowered; glumes broad, 4-6 mm. long, obtuse to abruptly pointed; lemma equaling the Glumes, awned from a bifid apex, the awn stout, twisted, 4-6 mm. long; palea subequal to the lemma.