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

Habitat: Disturbed areas from the coast to midmontane.

Flowers: March-June

Origin: Introduced

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Wind

Strongly tufted, glabrous perennial, the culms hollow, 1.5-4 dm. tall.

Sheaths open almost to the base; ligules 1.5-3 mm. long, blunt to acuminate, usually entire; blades 1-2.5 mm. broad, flat to folded, scabrous, the tip prow-like.

Inflorescence an open to contracted panicle up to 10 cm. long; spikelets 3-5 mm. long, but florets usually modified into elongate, purplish bulbils up to 20 mm. long; glumes 2-3 mm. long; normal lemmas about 5 per spikelet, keeled, 2-4 mm. long, webbed at base; viviparous spikelets modified into a single bulbil enclosed by the several leaf-like lemmas 5-20 mm. long; stamens and pistils mostly lacking.