Scirpus divaricatus Elliott

Plants cespitose; rhizomes not apparent. Culms: fertile ones lax, reclining, inflorescences lopping over to (or nearly to) ground; nodes frequently with axillary bulblets. Leaves 10–18 per culm; proximal leaf sheaths green or brownish; proximal sheaths and blades with septa few, inconspicuous; blades 16–55 cm × 4–8 mm. Inflorescences terminal; rays divergent, proximal rays smooth, pedicels and distal rays scabrous, rays often bearing axillary bulblets; bases of involucral bracts green or brownish, not glutinous. Spikelets in open cymes, central spikelet of each cyme sessile, others long-pedicellate, spikelets cylindric to narrowly ovoid, 4–14 × 1–2 mm; scales light brown to reddish with broad green midribs, broadly ovate or elliptic, 1.2–1.8 mm, apex rounded to obtuse, apiculate, or sometimes short-mucronate, apiculus or mucro (if present) to 0.1 mm. Flowers: perianth bristles persistent, 6, stout, contorted, equaling or longer than achene, not projecting beyond it, with delicate, round-tipped, retrorse teeth in distal 1/2, enclosed within scales; styles 3-fid. Achenes off-white to yellowish brown, elliptic-obovate in outline, strongly trigonous with very strong angles and concave sides, 0.8–1 × 0.6–0.8 mm. 2n = 28.