Plants usually 200-400 cm. Leaves mostly alternate; blades lanceolate, apices acute to acuminate, abaxial faces tomentulose to villous-tomentose. Phyllaries: abaxial faces densely hairy (longer hairs 1+ mm).

Flowering late summer-fall. Marshes; of conservation concern; 10-500 m; Calif.

The wetland habitat for subsp. parishii has nearly disappeared through draining of marshes and channelization of watercourses. The subspecies was thought to be extinct until, relatively recently, claims have been made that a population of it has been found.