General:
Perennial, densely tufted grass from fibrous roots; stems 4-20 (30) cm tall.

Leaves:
Sheath margins open 5/6-9/10 their length; blades 0.5-2 mm wide, glaucous, flat or folded, thin; ligules 1-4 mm long, the backs smooth.

Flowers:
Inflorescence an erect panicle, 2-7 cm long, sparse, pyramidal, open, exserted from upper sheaths, about as wide as long, the branches spreading, slender, 1.5-5 cm long, slightly to moderately rough on angles; spikelets laterally compressed, usually strongly purplish, 3-5 mm long, shorter than the stalks, 2- to 4-flowered; lower glumes 3-nerved, the upper glumes frequently exceeding the lower lemmas; rachilla internodes less than 1 mm long, smooth to rough; lemmas lanceolate, 2-3 mm long, the tips sharp-pointed, thinly membranous, the keels and marginal nerves short crisp- to silky-hairy, hairless between the nerves; calluses hairless; palea keels rough; flowers bisexual; anthers 0.2-0.7 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

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Poa brachyanthera HultTn