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: Balds, open slopes, grasslands, roadsides, wastelots, and other disturbed open areas

Flowers: April-June

Origin: Introduced from Europe

Growth Duration: Annual

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Wind

Simple or tufted annual 3-4 dm. tall, the culms glabrous and hollow, mostly concealed by the numerous leaves.

Sheaths open, glabrous; leaf blades about 1 mm. broad, usually folded, glabrous beneath and puberulent above; auricles lacking; ligules membranous, erose, 0.2-0.6 mm. long.

Inflorescence a very narrow, elongate panicle 10-20 cm. long; spikelets 4- to 6-flowered, articulating above the glumes; glumes very narrowly lanceolate, unequal, the first about 1.5 mm. long, 1-nerved, the second 3-5 mm. long, 3-nerved; lemmas glabrous, about 5.5 mm. long, with a terminal awn 10-15 mm. long; stamens usually 1.

Utricle