General:
Perennial herb from stout rhizomes, forming large colonies; stems circular in cross-section, tapered, firm, not easily crushed between the fingers, 100-300 (500) cm tall.

Leaves:
Few, borne mainly or entirely toward the bases of the stems; sheaths prominent, well-developed; blades short, poorly-developed, or bladeless.

Fruits:
Scales pale grey-white with numerous, short, linear, reddish-brown marks, more or less sticky short-hairy, mostly (3) 3.5-4 mm long, broadly egg-shaped, the margins somewhat irregularly jagged or fringed with cobwebby, soft, long-tangled hairs, the midri

Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Illustration Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia