Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; northern Washington to Oregon, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.

Habitat: Ditches, ponds, and freshwater marshes.

Flowers: June-August

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Sensitive in Washington (WANHP)

Pollination: Wind

Strongly rhizomatous perennial, the culms 8-15 dm. tall, smooth and hollow.

Sheaths open, throat hairy only at the top; ligules 2-3 mm. long, composed chiefly of a fringe of fine, straight hairs; blades involute, at least 5 mm. broad at the base.

Inflorescence of several to many spikes, erect, not crowded, 4-9 cm. long, arranged in a raceme; spikelets 1-flowered, articulate below the glumes, borne in two rows on one side of the rachis, closely crowded; glumes scabrous, the first very narrow, about 6.5 mm. long including the awn tip, the second exceeding the floret, 8-9 mm. long exclusive of the stout awn 2-4 mm. long; lemma keeled, 1-nerved, about 8 mm. long, shorter than the delicate, 2-nerved palea.