Poa arida Vasey

Tufted with short rhizomes, erect, 2–6 dm; lvs stiff, erect, usually folded, 1–2 mm wide; ligule 1.5–4 mm; infl compact, 3–12 cm, 3–4 times as long as wide; spikelets 5–9 mm, 4–7-fld; first glume 2–4 mm, the second 2.6–4.4 mm; lemmas hairy, often densely so, on and between the veins toward the base, but not webbed; lowest lemma 2.4–4.3 mm; anthers 1.2–2 mm; 2n=63–103. Dry to moist prairies; w. Minn. and nw. Io. to Mont., Utah, and Ariz. (P. pratensiformis)

It is a temperate plant.

The seeds are eaten.