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

Habitat: Lawns, fields, parking lots, sidewalks, roadsides, wastelots, prairies and grassy balds, and other disturbed, open areas.

Flowers: March-August

Origin: Introduced from Eurasia

Growth Duration: Annual, Biennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Wind

Glabrous annual, the culms 5-20 cm. tall, hollow, rooting at the nodes and forming mats.

Sheaths closed below, but open over half their length; ligules about 1 mm. long, rounded to truncate; blades 1-3.5 mm. broad, usually folded, the tip prow-like.

Inflorescence a pyramidal panicle 3-8 cm. long, the branches spreading and somewhat rigid; spikelets 3- to 6-flowered, 4-6 mm. long; glumes unequal, the first 1-nerved, about 2 mm. long, the second 3-nerved, much the broader; florets rather distant, the rachilla visible; lemmas about 3.5 mm. long, 5-nerved, the margins purplish and papery, usually pubescent along the keel and marginal nerves; paleas slightly shorter than the lemmas, 2-keeled.