It is native to the southern United States, and it can be found as a
naturalized species along the west coast of the United States, as well as northern Mexico and parts of Europe and Australia. It is most often found in moist to wet habitats, such as marshy meadows, and it can thrive in disturbed areas. It is an annual grass reaching a maximum height between . The hairy
inflorescence is roughly oval in shape and up to long by wide. This grass probably made up part of the
Eastern Agricultural Complex of plants cultivated by pre-Columbian
Native Americans in the United States. Its grains have been identified in
archaeological sites from
Texas to
Indiana to
Alabama which may be four millennia old. Laboratory analysis of the grass seed indicates that it is quite nutritious, with a good amount of vitamins and minerals. ==References==