Oryzopsis hymenoides Ricker ex Piper

Densely tufted, 3–7 dm; ligules 2.5–7.5 mm, acuminate, becoming lacerate; blades numerous, smooth, strongly involute, ca 1 mm wide, nearly as long as the stems; panicle (5–)7–15(–19) cm, open, diffusely branched, with long-pedicellate spikelets; glumes ovate-acuminate or tapering to an awn to 2 mm, hyaline-margined, finely puberulent to subglabrous, the 3(5) nerves prominent toward the greenish glume-base, obscure in the anthocyanic distal part; first glume (4.5–)5–7.5(–8) mm, the second a bit shorter; lemma 2.5–4(–5), fusiform, turgid, maturing dark and shiny, densely white-pilose with long soft hairs ca = glumes; awn 3–5.5 mm, straight, readily deciduous; 2n=28, 48, 65, 130. Dry, open often very sandy places; Man. and nw. Minn. to B.C., s. to Calif. and Tex. (Achnatherum h.) Hybridizes with several spp. of Stipa, producing sterile plantscalled ×Stiporyzopsis bloomeri (Bol.) B. L. Johnson.

It is a temperate plant. It suits sandy arid regions.

The seeds are ground into a meal for bread and porridge. They can also be used for cakes or to thicken soups. They can be mixed with cornmeal and used for dumplings.

Seeds can be scratched just prior to planting to speed up germination.