Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east across much of North America to the Atlantic Coast.

Habitat: Ditches, lake margins, meadows and other wet places.

Flowers: May-August

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Wind

Tufted perennial without rhizomes, the stems 4-8 dm. tall.

Leaves alternate, semi-terete, hollow, with prominent partitions; leaf bases sheathing, the margins of the sheaths free at the tip, forming rounded auricles.

Inflorescence terminal, 5-12 cm. long, longer than the involucral bract, with 5-20 heads, the heads 5-8 mm. broad and 10- to 20-flowered; perianth tawny or greenish-brown, 3-3.5 mm. long, the 6 segments subequal, lanceolate-acuminate; stamens 3; style 1 mm. long.

Capsule equal to the perianth, narrowly ovoid, 3-angled, tapered to the tip.