Elymus angustus Trinius in Ledebour, Fl. Altaic. 1: 119. 1829; Aneurolepidium angustum (Trinius) Nevski; Leymus angustus subsp. macroantherus D. F. Cui; Triticum angustum (Trinius) F. Hermann.

Culms solitary or tufted, 60–100 cm tall, 3- or 4-noded, glabrous, or pubescent below nodes and spike. Leaf sheath grayish green, usually shorter than internodes, smooth or slightly scabrous; ligule 0.5–1 mm, membranous, apex obtuse; leaf blade glaucous, rolled, 15–25 × 0.5–0.7 cm, stiff, abaxial surface subsmooth, adaxial surface smooth, apex acute. Spike erect, 15–20 × 0.7–1 cm; rachis pubescent. Spikelets 2(or 3) per node, 1–1.4 cm, with 2 or 3 florets; rachilla puberulent. Glumes covering base of first lemma, subequal or proximal glume slightly shorter, 10–13 mm, linear-lanceolate, 1-veined. Lemma lanceolate, obscurely 5–7-veined, densely puberulent, apex mucronate or acuminate; first lemma 10–14 mm including awn; callus pubescent. Palea slightly shorter than lemma, ciliate along keels. Anthers 2.5–3 mm. Fl. and fr. Jun–Aug.

This species is used for forage.

The new combination Leymus angustus (Trin.) Pilger var. macroantherus (D. F. Cui) L. B. Cai & X. Su (Bull. Bot. Res., Harbin 27(6): 654. 2007) appeared after publication of the family treatment for the Flora of China.

Grassy places, meadows; 2000–2100 m. Gansu, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Qinghai, Xinjiang [Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan; SW Asia, Europe].