Herbs, perennial (often flowering first year), rhizomatous. Culms basally swollen and cormlike, trigonous, (1–)20–40(–90) cm × 1–6 mm, glabrous or few prickles subapically. Leaves flat, (10–)20–40 cm × 1–4(–8) mm, margins and midribs glabrous or scabridulous. Inflorescences: spikes 1–4, loosely ovoid to oblong-cylindric; (6–)10–28(–50) × 10–40 mm; rays sometimes absent, usually (1–)3–6(–8), 0.5–7(–25) cm; if absent, inflorescence a congested head; 2d order rays sometimes present, 1–4(–9) cm; rachis 8–18(–25) mm; bracts (3–)5–7(–10), ascending at 30–45°, cross ribs sometimes conspicuous, (1–)10–30(–45) cm × (1–)2–4(–12) mm; rachilla ± deciduous, wings 0.4–0.5 mm wide. Spikelets (5–)12–50, linear-lanceoloid, compressed, 5–30 × 0.6–0.9 mm; floral scales ± deciduous, 3–11, appressed, medially green, laterally stramineous to pale brown, 3–4-ribbed laterally, (1–)3-ribbed medially, oblong-obovate, 3.2–4.5(–6) × 1–1.8 mm, apex ± acute, overlapping lower 1/4–1/2 of next scale. Flowers: anthers 0.3–0.5 mm; styles 1–2 mm; stigmas 3–4 mm. Achenes purplish brown, ± stipitate, narrowly oblong, (1.5–)1.8–2.4 × 0.5–0.6 mm, apex apiculate, acute, surfaces puncticulate.
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Short-lived perennial without well developed rhizomes, sometimes blooming the first year; stems few or solitary, smooth, sharply triangular, 1–6(–10) dm; lvs crowded toward the base, mostly 2–10(–15) mm wide; spikes usually branched at base; spikelets numerous in short-cylindric spikes, spreading ± at right angles from the ± elongate rachis, 6–25 × 1–2 mm, strongly compressed, deciduous at maturity, the rachilla disarticulating just above the reduced lowermost pair of scales; scales (3–)3.5–4.5(–5) mm, keeled and multinerved, with greenish midrib and ± golden sides, tending to be narrowly hyaline-margined distally, persistent, each one overlapping the next one above on the same side; anthers less than 0.5 mm; achene 1.5–2 mm, unequally linear-trigonous, held between the hyaline wings of the readily deciduous rachilla. Moist fields, swamps, and shores; Que. to Minn. and S.D., s. to Fla. and Tex., and w. irregularly to the Pacific
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