Montana Field Guide

Rhizomes deep. Stems erect, 40–100 cm, tufted. Leaves: basal and cauline; blades 3–10 mm wide; sheaths pilose. Inflorescence of 4 to 10 well-separated spikes; the lowest bract equal to or greater than the inflorescence. Spikes ascending to erect; the uppermost 2 to 4 male; the lower female, 2–7 cm long, pedunculate, cylindric. Perigynia ascending, green to tan, lanceolate, veiny, glabrous, 7–10 mm long including an apically divided beak, 3–5 mm long; stigmas 3. Female scales brown, lanceolate, long-awned, narrower and as long as the perigynia. Achene 3-sided, smaller than the perigynium (Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).

Moist to wet meadows, marshes, riparian forests, often around lakes, ponds where inundated early but eventually drying; plains, valleys (Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).