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

Habitat: Waste ground, roadsides, open woods and meadows, usually where moist.

Flowers: June-August

Origin: Introduced from Europe

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Wind

Glabrous, rhizomatous perennial, sometimes also stoloniferous, the culms 2-4 dm. tall, flattened and 2-edged.

Sheaths open to near the base; ligules 0.5-1.5 mm. long, truncate to rounded, pubescent, entire; blades 2-4 mm. broad, flat to folded, usually glabrous; the tips prow-like but rather sharply pointed.

Inflorescence a compact panicle 3-9 cm. long; spikelets 3- to 6-flowered; glumes up to 3 mm. long, subequal, the second broader; lemmas strongly keeled, 2.5-3.5 mm. long, 5-nerved, pubescent on the keel and marginal nerves; paleas slightly shorter than the lemmas, 2-keeled.