Triticum sibiricum Willdenow, Enum. Pl. 1: 135. 1809; Agropyron cristatum (Linnaeus) Gaertner subsp. sibiricum (Willdenow) A. Löve; A. fragile (Roth) P. Candargy subsp. sibiricum (Willdenow) Melderis; A. fragile var. sibiricum (Willdenow) Tzvelev; Eremopyrum sibiricum (Willdenow) P. Candargy.

Roots coated with grains of sand affixed by secretions of root hairs. Culms tufted, erect or geniculate at base, 50–80 cm tall, glabrous, or scabrous below spike. Leaf sheath glabrous, smooth or scabrous; leaf blade flat or involute, 10–20 × 0.4–0.6 cm, abaxial surface smooth, adaxial surface scabrous or puberulent. Spike slightly curved, 7–12 × 1–1.5(–2) cm; rachis internodes 4–5(–7) mm. Spikelets pale green, 15–20 × 4–6 mm, with 9–11 florets. Glumes ovate-lanceolate, oblique, glabrous, smooth or scabrous along keel, apex pointed; proximal glume 5–6.5 mm, 3–5-veined; distal glume 6–7 mm, 5-veined. Lemma glabrous or scabrous, apex pointed; first lemma ca. 8 mm. Palea slightly shorter than or equaling lemma, ciliate along keels. Anthers 3.5–4 mm. Fl. and fr. Jun–Jul. 2n = 14, 28.

Plants with villous lemmas have been named Agropyron sibiricum f. pubiflorum Roshevitz (in B. Fedtschenko, Fl. Iugo-Vostoka Evropeiskoi Chasti SSSR 2: 156. 1928). In China they are usually found in the steppes of Nei Mongol.

Sandy steppes, semideserts, sands. Hebei, Nei Mongol, Xinjiang [Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan; Europe; introduced in North America].