Distribution: Alaska to Newfoundland, south through Idaho to Arizona, east to Iowa; occasional in Oregon

Habitat: Wet meadows, stream banks and edges of standing water

Flowers: June - August

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Wind

Rhizomatous perennial, the culms 1-6 dm. tall, hollow, erect to decumbent.

Sheaths closed to open half their length; ligules 2-8 mm. long, usually entire; blades flat, 2-13 mm. broad.

Inflorescence an open panicle 7-20 cm. long; spikelets usually 2-flowered, occasionally 1-flowered; first glume 0.7-1.3 mm. long, the second 1.5-2.2 mm. long; lemmas 2.5-3 mm. long with 3 non-converging nerves, unawned, truncate; paleas subequal to the lemmas; upper floret deciduous much earlier than the lower.

Fruit spindle-shaped, barely 2 mm. long.