General:
Perennial, tufted grass from fibrous roots; stems numerous, slender, (10) 25-80 (100) cm tall.

Leaves:
Sheaths open, usually smooth; blades smooth to more or less rough short-hairy, the basal leaves tufted, the blades threadlike, flat or folded or sometimes in-rolled, mostly only 2-4 cm long, but rarely over 1.5 mm wide, the stem blades sometimes flat; ligules entire but usually split, short-hairy, sharp- to long-pointed, 3-9 mm long.

Flowers:
Inflorescence a narrow, pale greenish to purple panicle, 5-30 cm long, the slender branches ascending-erect; glumes 3-nerved, long-pointed, nearly equal, equalling or exceeding the upper florets; rachilla joints with hairs about as long as the calluses; lemmas firm, smooth, shining, often more or less rough short-hairy, (2) 2.5 (3) mm long, the tips blunt, jagged, awned from just below midlength, the awns nearly straight, about 3-4 mm long, the calluses with hairs half as long as the lemmas; paleas nearly equal to the lemmas; lodicules lanceolate, entire, 0.1-0.2 mm long; anthers about 0.5 mm long.

Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Illustration Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Flower Colour:
Yellow

Blooming Period:
Late Spring

Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: Brown
Present from Spring to Summer

Source:  The USDA

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Aira elongata Hook.
Deschampsia ciliata