General: Perennial, loosely tufted grass from fibrous roots; stems 35-120 cm tall, with visible nodes.
Leaves: Sheaths not conspicuous at the base of the stems, shredding into fibres towards the end of the growing season; blades 10-30 cm long, 3-10 mm wide, flat, lax; ligules 0.2-0.7 (1) mm long, fringed.
Flowers: Inflorescence an open panicle, (10) 15-30 (40) cm long, the branches 6-10 (15) cm long; spikelets 3- to 4- (6-) flowered, 6-11 (12) mm long; lower glumes (1.8) 2-3.2 (4) mm long, the upper ones (2) 3.5-5.5 (6) mm long; lemmas (5) 6-7.5 (8.8) mm long, awned, the awns (2.5) 5-10 (17) mm long, sometimes curving but not crinkled; anthers 1.5-2.8 mm long; ovary tops hairy.
Moist to mesic streambanks, meadows, forests and forest openings in the lowland and montane zones; frequent in SW BC and the Queen Charlotte Islands, infrequent east of the Coast-Cascade Mountains N to 57 degrees N; N to SW AK, E to W AB and S to UT, NV and CA.
The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range. (Updated August, 2013)
Shade-tolerant/intolerant, submontane to montane, Pacific North American grass; occurrence decreases with increasing elevation and continentality. Species occurs in maritime to submaritime cool mesothermal climates on fresh to very moist, nitrogen-rich soils. Scattered in coniferous forests, more frequent in broad-leaved forests on waterÂreceiving (floodplain and seepage) sites. Frequently associated with Galium triflorum, Polystichum munitum, and Tiarella trifoliata. Nitrophytic species characteristic of Moder and Mull humus forms.
