Herbs, perennial, rhizomatous. Culms trigonous, 50-100 cm × 2.5-3 mm, glabrous. Leaves V-shaped, 20-50 cm × 4-7 mm. Inflorescences: spikes loosely ovoid, 1.5-7 cm wide; rays 5-13, 1-21 cm; 2d order rays 0.5-3 cm; bracts 3-8, V-shaped, 5-50 cm × 2.5-5.6 mm; rachilla persistent, wings 0.4-0.6 mm wide. Spikelets 5-30, compressed, linear, (5-)12-40 × 1.5-2.2 mm; floral scales deciduous, 6-24, reddish brown to yellowish brown laterally, greenish medially, 5-7-ribbed, elliptic, 3-4 × 1.4-1.6 mm, apex obtuse. Flowers: anthers 1.5-2 mm; styles 2-2.3 mm; stigmas 2-3 mm. Achenes dark brown, sessile, oblong, 1.5 × 0.4-0.5 mm, apex apiculate, surfaces puncticulate.

Fruiting summer. Ditches, croplands; 100-1000 m; Kans., Mo., N.Mex., Okla., Tex.

A cespitose, non-tuberous sw. sp. with the bracts mostly surpassing the infl, has been collected just to the s. of our range in w. Mo., and may prove to occur in our range as well.

Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.

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