Tufted grass 0.7-2.5 m. Leaf blades narrow, scabrous. Panicle many-flowered, 15-50 cm long, silver silky. V - early spring (some leaves overwinter) to late autumn. Fl - late spring to mid summer. Fr - early autumn. P - by seed and division. Produces dense cluster. Good for grouping. Requires well-drained soil. Z 5.

European Russia (southeastern regions), Central Asia, Siberia (southwestern regions) and adjacent China. In dry steppes and semideserts with saline soil.