This is widespread in eastern states, except on the southeasatern Coastal Plain. Authorship of pubescens was recently corrected from Muhl. ex Willd. to Spreng. (Veldkamp 2009). Mapped records of this variable species may include transitions to other species, especially latiglumis and nottowayanus; 2n = 14 in all native Bromopsis of eastern North America. However, hybrids among these species are not well documented (FNA 24).Typical pubescens appears to have rather few (ca. 4-6) dull greyish-green leaves, blades glabrous to villous, sheaths glabrous to densely canescent (but usually without a distinct ring or tuft at summit), nodes partly exposed, second glumes usually 3-veined, lemma awns 2-8 mm, and anthers 2.5-5 mm long. Forms with glabrous sheaths (forma laevivaginatus Wieg.) or glabrous lemmas (forma glabriflorus Wieg.) are widespread and probably do not deserve recognition; they have caused confusion with other taxa.