Distribution: Southern U.S. to South America

Habitats: Varied moist habitats, often growing submerged (then grassy and sometimes branched)

Recognition:   Culms thin, grassy, flexuous,  to 80 cm tall, spongy (see habitat above).  Spikelet elongate and narrow, 9-24 mm long.  Scales with dark borders.  Achene light-colored, with transverse bands, narrowed at the tip to a short bottleneck.

Florida status: Native