• Grows to a meter tall and produce tall naked spikes.
• Leaves are narrow, lanceolate (lance shaped), and short petioled (stem) or sometimes sessile (attached directly, without a supporting stalk/stem).
• Inflorescence (flowering part of plant) is a terminal spike with a four part flower consisting of sepals and petals.
• Ovary and the stamens (male reproductive organ on a flower) are oval and/or elongated.
• Fruit is a nut like indehiscent (not opening at maturity along definite lines or pores) that produces seeds with out a tuft of hairs.

Photo Credit: Aaron RInker, USFWS

For a complete Refuge species list

For in-depth plant information
connect with the U.S. Dept Agriculture Plant Data Base

Last Updated: 1/14/09