Plants perennial, to 150(–200) cm, cespitose or not; rhizomes scaly, slender, elongate. Culms wand-like, at least 50 cm. Leaves nearly distichous, spreading to ascending, 1/2 length of culms, sheath margins ciliolate at junction with blade, backs smooth to pubescent; ligule present, usually complete; blades linear, 2–5 mm wide, flat to involute, margins scabridulous, surfaces mostly glabrous. Inflorescences: anthelae compound, dense or diffuse, mostly longer than broad; scapes wandlike, broadly linear, distally usually compressed, marginal ribs scabrid distally; longest primary involucral bract exceeding or shorter than anthela. Spikelets pale brown or red-brown, broadly ovoid, ellipsoid, or lanceoloid, 5–15 mm; fertile scales ovate, 3–4 mm, apex rounded, often puberulent distally, midrib excurrent as scabrid mucro or short cusp. Flowers: stamens 3; styles 2-fid, flat, fimbriolate. Achenes pale to deep brown, lenticular-obovoid, 1 mm, finely but definitely cancellate with 14–15 horizontally oriented lattices per side. 2n = 20, 30, 60.
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Perennial from long, slender rhizomes; stems solitary or in small tufts, to 1.5(–2) m, tending to be flattened and scabrous-edged above; lvs subdistichous, mostly 2–5 mm wide, scabrous on the margins distally, usually otherwise glabrous; ligule a line of short hairs; longest invol bract from much shorter to slightly longer than the infl; spikelets 5–15 mm, ellipsoid or lance-ovoid, few–many in a compound system of subumbellate cymes, the edges of the peduncles scabrous; scales ovate, glabrous or often puberulent distally, sometimes shortly excurrent-mucronate; stamens 3; anthers ca 3 mm; style bifid, fimbriate from near the base to just above the branch-point; achene lenticular, obovate, 1 mm, finely cellular-reticulate in vertical rows; 2n=20, 40, 60. Coastal marshes and dune-swales, or sometimes farther inland on the coastal plain, landward from no. 5 [Fimbristylis castanea (Michx.) Vahl ], seaward from no. 4 [Fimbristylis puberula (Michx.) Vahl]; N.J. to Fla. and Mex.
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