Herbs, perennial, to 10 dm. Rhizomes densely branched to short- creeping. Cataphylls 1--3. Leaves basal, (1--)2--3; auricles 0.2--0.5(--0.6) mm, scarious to leathery; blade nearly terete, channeled or flat, 10--25(--40) cm x (0.5--)0.7--1(--1.2) mm, margins entire. Inflorescences terminal, (5--)10--85(--100)-flowered, congested to somewhat loose, (1--)2.5--10--13) cm; primary bract usually exceeding inflorescence. Flowers: bracteoles 2; tepals green, lanceolate, (3--)3.3--4.5(--5.5) mm; outer and inner series nearly equal; stamens 6, filaments 0.6--1.2 mm, anthers 0.4--0.8(--1) mm; style 0.2 mm. Capsules tan to brown, 1-locular to pseudo-3-locular, ellipsoid to widely so, (2.5--)2.8--3.5(--4.5)  1x 1.6--2.2 mm. Seeds brownish to amber, ellipsoid to lunate, 0.3--0.4 mm, not tailed. 2n = ca. 80.

Flowering and fruiting late spring--summer. Ditches, shores, clearings, and other typically open areas, usually in sandy, well-drained (but frequently wet) soil; Ala., Ark., Colo., Conn., Del., D.C., Fla., Ga., Ky., La., Md., Mass., Miss., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Pa., R.I., S.C., Tenn., Tex.as, Va., W.Va.; Mexico; Central America; South America..