Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia south on both sides of the Cascades to California, east to Montana and New Mexico.

Habitat: Lake margins, stream banks, moist mountain meadows and other wet areas.

Flowers: May-July

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Wind

Strongly rhizomatous perennials, the culms 1-1.5 m. tall.

Sheaths closed to near the top, slightly scabrous; ligules 3-6 mm. long, truncate, puberulent; blades flat, 6-10 mm. broad.

Inflorescence a loose, open panicle 15-25 cm. long, the branches spreading; spikelets 4- to 7-flowered, ovate in outline; glumes papery, 1-nerved, the first about 1 mm. long, the second, 1.5 mm. long; lemmas 2-2.3 mm. long, 7-nerved to the scarious upper margin, the nerves non-convergent; paleas about equal to the lemmas, minutely cleft at the tip; stamens 2.