Trees to 50 m; trunk to 4 m diam. Bark usually dark reddish brown to light brown with shallow furrows. Branchlets mostly with leaves in 2 ranks, pendent to horizontally spreading. Leaves mostly narrowly linear, ca. 5--17 mm, laterally divergent, free portion contracted and twisted basally. 2 n = 22.

Brownwater rivers, lake margins, and swamps, occasionally in slightly brackish water; 0--160 m (to 500 m in Tex.); Ala., Ark., Del., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Ky., La., Md., Miss., Mo., N.C., Okla., S.C., Tenn., Tex., Va.

This variety and var. mexicanum exhibit continuous morphologic integradation and are distinguished on the basis of phenology and distribution.