Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains, east across Canada to the Great Lakes region and northeastern North America.

Habitat: Wet places, middle to high elevation in the mountains.

Flowers: May-August

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Wind

Herbaceous perennial, the slender culms 2-6 dm. tall, arising singly from slender rhizomes.

Leaves basal and cauline, the blades elongate and narrow, usually under 2 mm. wide, the outer half deeply channeled; sheathes closed; uppermost culm leaf with blade shorter than the well-developed sheath.

Spikelets 2-5 in a terminal inflorescence, pedunculate in an umbel, the peduncles slender, sub-terete; umbel subtended by several involucral bracts, but only one of them green and foliaceous; scales subtending the flowers blackish-green to greenish-brown; perianth consisting of numerous, white, capillary bristles 2-4 cm. long; stamens 3; style trifid.

Achenes light brown, 2.5-3.5 mm. long, narrowly oblanceolate.