Herbs, annual or perennial, cespitose. Culms trigonous, 15-60 cm × 1-3 mm, glabrous. Leaves 2-6, flat to V-shaped, 6-30(-40) cm × 2-4 mm. Inflorescences: spikes broadly ellipsoid, 5-45 × 10-30(-45) mm; rays (2-)5-9, (0.3-)3-10 cm; rachis 4-17 mm; bracts 5-6, horizontal to ascending, V-shaped, 1.5-30 cm × 0.5-4 mm; rachilla persistent, wings hyaline, 0.4-0.5 mm wide. Spikelets 5-30, pale greenish white or stramineous, compressed, linear-lanceoloid, 7-35 × (1.2-)1.4-2 mm; floral scales deciduous, 6-34, spreading or appressed, laterally greenish white, often reddish or brown speckled, medially green, laterally 3-5-ribbed, medially 3-ribbed, elliptic, (2.2-)3-4(-4.4) × (1.2-)1.8-2.2 mm, apex acute. Flowers: anthers 0.6 mm; styles 0.6-1.2 mm; stigmas 1-1.4(-1.7) mm. Achenes reddish brown to dark brown, stipitate, narrowly ellipsoid, 1.4-2 × 0.6-0.9 mm, apex apiculate, surfaces puncticulate.

Fruiting summer. Disturbed, wet soils; 0 m; introduced; Fla.; West Indies; Central America; South America; Africa.