Bunchgrass. Stems 80–150 cm. Leaves: blades 4–12 mm wide, usually flat. Inflorescence 7–19 cm long, the rachis continuous and usually drooping. Spikelets mostly 2 (rarely more) per node, 12–16 mm long (excluding awns), glumes 3- to 5-veined, tapering to an awn up to 12 mm long. Lemmas mostly 3 to 4 per spikelet, short hairy, tapering gradually into an awn up to 3.5 cm long, the awns divergent and curved (Lavin in
Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).
Most common along road cuts where likely introduced for soil stabilization (Lavin in
Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).