Tufted, glaucous perennial 7-15(-20) dm; lvs flat to loosely involute, 2.5-5(-8) mm wide, stiff, thick-veined, the auricles standing erect; spikes elongate, 10-30 cm, loose and open, the middle internodes (9-)15-20(-25) mm, the lower often longer; spikelets (13-)16-22 mm, 6-18-fld, becoming arcuate in age; glumes indurate, oblong, 5-7-veined, obtuse to truncate; lemmas 8.5-13 mm, broadly lanceolate, obtuse or rounded, awnless, the midvein thickened; anthers 4-7 mm; 2n=14, 28, 42, 56, 70. Dry, open places, especially in alkaline soils; Mediterranean sp., escaped at scattered stations in w. U.S., and locally established in s. Ont. (Agropyron e.; Elymus e.; Lophopyrum e.)

Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.

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