Loosely tufted, 3-8 dm; ligules of upper lvs mostly 1.5-3 mm; blades 1-2 mm wide, involute at least when dry, those of the flowering stems to 1 dm, the basal ones longer; panicle lax and open, ovoid, 8-15 cm, with flexuous, capillary, widely spreading branches; glumes elliptic-obovate, 3.5-4.8 mm, perfectly smooth, very thin, the lateral veins inconspicuous; mature lemma 2.5-4 mm, dull brown, rather sparsely appressed-pilose; awn persistent, 6-11 mm, crooked, twisted and often somewhat coiled in the basal half. Dry, sandy or rocky woods; Nf. to Sask., s. to n. N.Y., n. Mich., n. Wis. and n. Minn. (Stipa c.)

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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