Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Atlantic Coast.

Habitat: Wet places, often in fairly deep water.

Flowers: July-September

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Wind

Rhizomatous perennial, the culms 6-15 dm. tall.

Sheaths open, scabrous; ligules 1 mm. long, truncate; blades flat, 6-10 mm. broad, strongly scabrous on the margins, abruptly narrowed just above the base.

Inflorescence an open panicle 10-20 cm. long, often with reduced, axillary panicles in the upper sheaths; spikelets 1-flowered; glumes lacking; lemmas 5-nerved, leathery, 5 mm. long, bristly-pubescent; paleas equaling the lemmas; stamens 3