General: Perennial herb from long, creeping rhizomes; stems arising singly, not densely clustered, round, usually straight, smooth, wiry, erect, 40-60 cm tall.
Leaves: Reduced to small sheaths at the base of the stem; sheaths shiny brown.
Flowers: Inflorescence nodding, with 8 to 20 light-coloured flowers on branches 4-8 cm long, appearing as if on the side of the stem, located closer to the upper third of the stem; perianth segments dark with translucent margins, reddish-brown, 3.2-4.7 mm long, pointed, the outer about equal to the inner segments; stamens 6; anthers longer than or equal to the filaments; involucral bract 5-20 cm long, cylindrical, resembling a continuation of the stem, shorter than the stem.
Fruits: Capsules, with blunt tips, about equal to the perianth segments or slightly longer; seeds spindle-shaped, 0.8-1 mm long, lacking tail-like appendages.
Lakeshores and sandy river bars in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; frequent throughout BC; circumpolar, N to AK, YT and NT, E to NF and S to ME, PA, VA, OH, IN, AR, TX, NM, AZ and CA; Eurasia.
