Culms glabrous, 5-10 dm; sheaths glabrous; ligules 1-3 mm; ovate or truncate; blades 4-8 mm wide when unrolled, scabrous above; infl dense, 1-4 dm נ1-2.5 cm, its base often enclosed in the upper sheath; glumes subequal, 10-15 mm, scabrous on the keel or throughout; lemma shorter than the glumes, scaberulous; callus-hairs 1-3 mm; prolongation of the rachilla 2 mm, hairy; 2n=28. Dunes and dry sandy shores, along all the Great Lakes, along Lake Champlain, and along the Atlantic from Nf. to N.C.

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

©The New York Botanical Garden. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

From Flora of Indiana (1940) by Charles C. Deam

Infrequent on the dunes bordering Lake Michigan. This species is used in this country as a soil binder.

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Indiana Coefficient of Conservatism: C = 10

Wetland Indicator Status: FACU/UPL

Diagnostic Traits: Rhizomatous grass; involvute leaves; inflorescences thick wand-like panicles; spikelets 1-flowered, 8-15 mm, compressed its callus bearded.