Distribution: Widely distributed on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.

Habitat: Shores, riverbanks, vernal pools, sloughs, wet meadows, and seeps, often submersed.

Flowers: May-July

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Wind

Tufted perennials, the culms 2-7 dm. tall, erect to decumbent and freely-rooting, especially when growing in standing water.

Sheaths open; ligules 4-8 mm. long, acute, lacerate or entire; blades 2-5 mm. broad, strongly roughened on the lower surface.

Inflorescence a cylindrical, pale green, spikelike panicle 1.5-7 cm. long; spikelets 1-flowered; articulation below the glumes; glumes 2-2.3 mm. long, the tips obtuse and scarious, silky on the back, fused for less than 0.5 mm; lemmas subequal to the glumes, the margins fused for less than half their length, with an awn attached about mid-length, straight, about equal to the glumes; paleas and lodicules lacking.

Utricle