Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east across most of North America to the Atlantic Coast.

Habitat: Fields, roadsides, wastelots, and other disturbed areas.

Flowers: April-June

Origin: Introduced from Europe

Growth Duration: Annual

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Wind

Glabrous, low, spreading annual, the culms 3-9 cm. tall.

Sheaths partially closed, compressed; ligules 0.5-1.5 mm. long; blades involute, the tip somewhat boat-shaped.

Inflorescence a terminal, spikelike raceme 1-5 cm. long, exceeded by the upper leaves; spikelets 3-flowered, subsessile, closely crowded on one side of the rachis, 6-10 mm. long; first glume 2-3 mm. long, 3-nerved, rounded at the tip; second glume 4-6 mm. long, 7-nerved, rounded at the tip; lemmas compressed, 4-6 mm. long, with 5 non-convergent nerves; paleas much shorter than the lemmas, sharply 2-keeled.