Plants loosely cespitose, not rhizomatous. Culms 60–160 cm, thickened basally, some-times appearing cormous; internodessometimes pubescent below the nodes. Sheaths usually glabrous, sometimes pilose or retrorsely scabrous, particularly at the throat, veins often prominent; ligules 2–4 mm; blades 15–25 cm long, 5–12 mm wide, both surfaces usually scabrid-ulous, glabrous, sometimes the adaxial surfaces with hairs. Panicles 12–30 cm; branches 7–11 cm, spreading to reflexed, with 4–7 spikelets, spikelets restricted to the distal portion, axils frequently with brownish pulvini; pedicels straight; disarticulation above the glumes. Spikelets 12–18 mm, with 3–5 bisexual florets; rachilla internodes 2.5–3 mm. Lower glumes 4.5–7 mm long, 1–1.5 mm wide, 1–3-veined; upper glumes 6.5–9 mm long, 1.2–1.8 mm wide, 3–5-veined; lemmas 9.5–12 mm, glabrous or scabrous, 7-veined, apices bifid to emarginate, awned, awns 3–10 mm; paleas about 2/3 the length of the lemmas; anthers 1.3–2.5 mm; rudiments 3.5–6 mm, tapering, resembling the bisexual florets. 2n = unknown.
Melica smithii grows in cool, moist woods from British Columbia and Alberta south to Oregon and Wyoming and, as a disjunct, from the Great Lakes region to western Quebec. It often forms colonies in the eastern portion of its range. Its disjunct distribution pattern is unusual among North America’s grasses.