Plants loosely cespitose, sometimes rhizomatous. Culms (30)40-90
cm, glabrous or puberulent above. Sheaths sparsely sericeous to
densely pubescent, old sheaths persistent, disintegrating into wavy, curled,
or arched fibers; ligules 0.5-1 mm; blades 5-24 cm long,
1-5 mm wide, flat, margins of the basal blades often ciliate below, with
hairs usually more than 2 mm. Panicles 5-22 cm long, 1-3(5) cm wide; branches villous. Spikelets 6-10
mm, with 2-4(5) florets; rachillas with scattered pubescence. Glumes acute,
glabrous, smooth or scabrous; lower glumes 4-5 mm, 1-veined; upper
glumes 5-6 mm, 3-veined; calluses broadly rounded, pubescent; lemmas 4-6
mm, glabrous or puberulent, rarely ciliate, usually green when young, stramineous
at maturity, apices acuminate to shortly aristate; anthers 2-2.5
mm. Caryopses 2.5-3.8 mm. 2n = 14.
Koeleria pyramidata, as interpreted here, is confined to Europe. Some North American records for K. pyramidata are based on robust specimens of K. macrantha; others reflect an interpretation of K. pyramidata that includes K. macrantha.
Tufted perennial 3-6 dm; culms hairy below the infl; ligule short, erose; blades 1-3 mm wide, flat, or involute when dry; spike-like panicle 5-12 נ1-2 cm; spikelets subsessile, overlapping, ±scabrous; first glume lance-oblong, 2.6-4+ mm; second glume broadest above the middle, 3.2-5+ mm; lemma awnless; anthers 1-1.8 mm; 2n=14, 28, 42, 56, 70, 84. Dry soil, prairies, sand-hills, and open woods; circumboreal, s. in Amer. to Del., Mo., and Tex.; s. S. Amer. (K. cristata, an illegitimate name; K. gracilis; K. macrantha; K. nitida)
Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.
