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Caespitose perennial. Culms erect, branching intravaginally into narrow tussocks, 13–60 cm high. Leaves: ligule 1–3 mm long; blade 5–12.5 cm long, 0.5–3 mm wide. Inflorescence contracted or spreading at anthesis, well exserted above flag leaf, 5–13.5 (–20) cm long; all but longest lateral branches bearing densely clustered spikelets from base; primary branches undivided at least 1–3 mm, up to 5–20 mm; maximum total branch length 25–50 mm. Spikelets 3.0–6.8 mm long, often purplish; bisexual florets 3–6. Lower glume 0.9–1.6 mm long; upper glume 1.3–1.9 mm long. Callus pubescent. Lemma 1.5–2.6 mm long, glabrous to papillose towards base; midvein usually extending to apex, sometimes excurrent. Palea 1.7–2.4 mm long; keels scabrous to ciliate in lower half. Anthers 0.5–1 mm long, creamy white.
Tufted perennial, 200-400 mm high. Leaf blade 80-200 x 2-5 mm; ligule an unfringed membrane. Inflorescence an ellipsoid, rather compact sometimes more open panicle; branches stout and stiff, bearing spikelets nearly to base. Spikelets 4-7 x 1-2 mm, laterally compressed, disarticulating above glumes, awnless; glumes very unequal, shorter than spikelet; lower glume 1-nerved; upper glume 3-nerved. Florets 2-12, bisexual; lemma 1.5-2.5 mm long, entire, back rounded, glabrous except for short hairs at base and lower part of nerves; nerves 3, conspicuous; apex thinly scarious to hyaline, smooth or minutely ciliate; palea ciliate on keels, margins glabrous; anther 0.6-1.0 mm long. Flowering time Sept.-Jan.
Loosely to densely tufted perennial 200-400 mm high; culms 1-3-noded. Leaf blade 80-200 x 2-5 mm. Inflorescence ellipsoid, rather compact rarely open; lower branches stout, stiff, bearing spikelets nearly to the base; spikelets densely clustered, overlapping for more than 1/2 their length. Spikelet 4-7 x 1-2 mm; glumes rounded on the back, usually obtuse; lemma 1.5-2.5 mm long, subacute to obtuse, nerves inconspicuous or only 3 conspicuous, glabrous except for short hairs at base and lower part of nerves, midrib reaching apex; palea keels minutely hairy; anthers 0.6-1.0 mm long.
Coarse, tufted perennial, or sometimes annual or biennial, 2–6 dm; lvs 2–5 mm wide, often involute in age; ligules 1–2 mm; infl narrowly ovoid, 4–15 cm, becoming long-exsert, its lowest branches floriferous to the base; spikelets 3–4 mm, 2–5-fld; first glume ovate, acute, 1 mm, the second broadly ovate, subacute, 1.2–1.8 mm; lemmas 1.9–2.4 mm, ovate-oblong, minutely hairy at the base, obscurely veined, but the midvein reaching the broadly obtuse tip; anthers 0.4–0.8 mm; 2n=28. Salt-marshes and sandy shores; Mass. to Va.; Europe. (P. borreri)
Tufted perennial, up to 400 mm tall. Leaves linear; ligule an unfringed membrane. Inflorescence a compact panicle with stiff branches bearing spikelets to base. Spikelets 4-7 x 1-1.5 mm, awnless, many-flowered; glumes shorter than spikelet; lower glume 1-nerved; upper 3-nerved; lemmas rounded, glabrous or long hairs present at base, 5-nerved.
Like P. distans but panicle more compact with stiff branches bearing spikelets to the base.
