Tufted winter annual, 3–7 dm, decumbent at base; lvs 1–5 mm wide; ligule short; spikes 7–18 cm, 5 mm thick, disarticulating at the nodes when mature; glumes 7–10 mm, asymmetrical, unequally 9–13-veined, mostly bearing one long awn and one short awn or tooth, lemmas 8–11 mm, asymmetrical, 5-veined, those of the upper (usually sterile) spikelets with an awn to 10 cm, those of the lower with progressively shorter awns or none; 2n=28. Native of s. Europe and w. Asia, established and becoming a noxious weed in wheat-fields in w. U.S., e. less commonly along roadsides and in other disturbed habitats to Mich., Ind., and even N.Y. Hybridizes with wheat.(Cylindropyrum c.) A. ovata L., an e. Mediterranean sp. with short, ovoid spikes bearing 2–5 spikelets, the glumes each with 4 long awns, is reported to be established as a weed in Va.
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