Tufted, usually 5-10 dm, the culms somewhat bulbous-thickened at base, minutely scabrous at the summit; upper sheaths terete, not dilated; blades ordinarily 5-8 mm wide, rough-margined; infl cylindric, (3-)5-10(-15) cm נ5-8 mm; glumes 2-3.2 mm, abruptly rounded-truncate to an awn 0.7-1.5 mm, hispidulous-ciliate on the keel, with thin, pale or green margins; 2n=14, 21, 28-84. Native of Europe, cult. for hay and pasture, escaped and naturalized throughout most of the U.S. and s. Can.
Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.