Culms slender to robust, 3–12 dm, glabrous; sheaths glabrous; blades scaberulous, to 10(–20) cm, 2–5 mm wide; infl lax, slender, 1–3 dm; spikelets 5–9.5 mm; glumes scabrous on the keel, the first narrowly oblong, often 3-veined, 3.5–5.5 mm, the second obovate-oblong, 3–5-veined, 0.7–1.1 mm wide in side-view, acute to mucronate; first lemma 3.9–7.2 mm, glabrous except for the scaberulous tip; awnless or with an awn to 2.5 mm; second lemma 3.6–6.5 mm, scabrous, with a bent awn 3.5–7 mm; third floret, when present, smaller, awned; anthers ca 1 mm; 2n=14. Swamps and wet woods; Mass. to n. Fla., w. to O., s. Mo., and La. (Trisetum p.; S. palustris)
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