Stems clustered, stout, erect, 6–12 dm, 3–10 mm thick at base; lvs coarse, elongate, terete and septate, the upper often reaching to the infl, the larger ones 3–5 mm thick; infl broadly pyramidal with numerous divaricate branches, decompound, 1–2 dm, with 200 or more obpyramidal, 2–7-fld heads 3–5 mm thick; fls eprophyllate; tep subequal, linear-subulate, much narrower than in the 2 preceding spp., scarious-margined, 1.9–2.6 mm; stamens 3; fr unilocular, pale brown, prismatically ovoid or long-trigonous, 2.1–2.8 mm, obtuse or subacute. Swamps and shallow water; n. Ind. to Kans., s. to Miss. and Tex. (J. robustus, a preoccupied name)