Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in northeastern Washington; Yukon Territory to Washington, east to the Rocky Mountains, Great Plains, Great Lakes region, and northeastern North America.

Habitat: Open coniferous woods.

Flowers: May-July

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Wind

Tufted perennial, the hollow culms 2-5 dm. tall, often exceeded by the erect, stiff blades of the several sterile stems.

Sheaths open; ligules about 0.5 mm. long, higher on the sides than on the back; blades of the flowering stems reduced or lacking; blades of the sterile stems erect, tough, flat, 3-7 mm. broad, scabrous, tapering strongly at both ends.

Inflorescence a narrow panicle that is often nearly reduced to a raceme 4-8 cm. long; spikelets 1-flowered; glumes broad, subequal, about 7 mm. long, 7-nerved, abruptly narrowed to an acute tip; lemmas equal to the glumes, hardened, pubescent, with a bent terminal awn, strongly hairy on the upper part of the short callus; paleas equal to the lemmas; anthers 3.5 mm. long, the tips with a tuft of hairs.