Annual bunchgrass. Stems 10–40 cm. Leaves: blades 2–6 mm wide. Inflorescence 10–25 cm long. Spikelets 10–26 mm long, glumes about as long as the spikelet length. Lemmas: 4 to 9 per spikelet, with a slender flexuous awn 5–15 mm long (Lavin in
Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).