Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; southern British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains, southern Great Plains, and eastern North America.

Habitat: From ocean beaches and salt marshes to sagebrush deserts.

Flowers: April-June

Origin: Introduced from Europe

Growth Duration: Annual

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Wind

Mostly glabrous annual 1-5 dm. tall with hollow culms, which are longitudinally grooved.

Sheaths open; leaf blades involute, up to 1.5 mm. broad; auricles lacking; ligules membranous, erose, 0.2-0.6 mm. long.

Inflorescence a narrow panicle with short, erect branches and pedicles 3-10 cm. long; spikelets 3- to 6-flowered; glumes unequal, the first 3-6 mm. long, 1-nerved, the second 5-8.5 mm. long, 3-nerved; lemmas glabrous, about 6.5 mm. long, with a terminal awn 5.5-13 mm. long; stamens usually 1, the anther purple; sometimes the lowest floret pistillate, and the other florets with 2-3 anthers.

Utricle