Herbs, mostly 20--50(--60) cm. Leaves ascending in broad to narrow fans, (10--)15--25(--28) cm; sheaths reddish or purplish, rugulose-papillate; blade dull green, linear, 1.5--6 mm wide, papillate, margins somewhat scabrous. Inflorescences: scape sheaths proximally lustrous brown, shading distally to red tones; scapes linear, not widened distally, papillate or minutely scabrous, sharply multiribbed distally, ribs all equally prominent, somewhat scabrous; spikes 6--10(--15) mm. Seeds mealy.

Flowering summer--fall. Moist to wet sands or sandy peats of bogs, pine savanna, shores, and seeps; 0--200 m; Ala., Fla., Ga., La., Miss., N.C., S.C.; Central America (Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua).