General:
Perennial, tufted herb from short, tough, fibrous rhizomes; stems loosely clustered, evidently triangular in cross-section, (40) 60-150 (180) cm tall.

Leaves:
Leaves several, usually on the lower half of the stems; sheaths greenish or pale, not red-tinged; blades flat, grass-like, 6-15 (18) mm wide.

Flowers:
Spikes numerous, terminal, 3-4 mm long, egg-shaped or short-cylindrical, unstalked in dense, nearly globe-shaped heads, that are usually at least 1 cm wide, the heads in open or sometimes very compact, umbel-like, sometimes compound (once or usually twice branched), terminal cymes; involucral bracts several, conspicuous, leaflike, unequal, sheathless, the largest rarely less than 10 cm long.

Fruits:
Scales black or brownish-black, egg-shaped, 1.6-2.8 mm long, the midribs pale, awned, the awns flat or circular in cross-section, tapered, 0.4-0.6 (1.2) mm long; perianth bristles 6, persistent, minutely- and finely-barbed backwards only above the middle, the longest ones equalling the achenes; stigmas 3; achenes pale brown or almost white, plump, 3-angled or plano-convex, 0.8-1.2 mm long, 0.4-0.6 mm wide.

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

Flower Colour:
Red

Blooming Period:
Late Spring

Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: White
Present over the Summer

Source:  The USDA

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Scirpus atrovirens var. pallidus Britton