It is native to western North America, from Yukon and British Columbia to California to Texas.

The inflorescence is a narrow panicle with branches upright or pressed parallel to the stem.

[2] This grass occurs in many types of habitat in western North America.

It is a dominant grass in a number of regions, such as shrubsteppe in Colorado and forest and woodland ecosystems in Arizona and New Mexico.

It indicates true dry grassland in northern Alberta and pristine subalpine habitat on the Wasatch Plateau in Utah.