Wildrye

Culms laxly tufted, slender, 60–100 cm tall, 1.5–3 mm in diam. at base. Leaf sheath smooth, glabrous, but retrorsely pubescent at base; leaf blade flat or involute, 9–20(–26) × 0.2–0.8 cm, abaxial surface glabrous, adaxial surface scabrous or puberulent. Spike erect or nodding, usually secund, 9–15 cm. Spikelets 1 per node, yellowish green or tinged purplish, 15–25 mm, with (3–)5–7 florets. Glumes oblong-lanceolate or lanceolate, subequal and 10–15 mm or proximal one 6–11 mm and distal one 9–12 mm, 5–7-veined, scabrous along veins, apex acute or acuminate. Lemma lanceolate, hispidulous throughout; first lemma 10–12 mm; awn divaricate, 2.5–4.5 cm. Palea equaling or subequaling lemma, hispid along keels, apex subobtuse or emarginate. Anthers 2.5–3.5 mm. Fl. and fr. Jun–Aug.

Gansu, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Xinjiang, Yunnan [Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan].

Forest margins, mountain slopes, roadsides; 600–2600 m.