Japan Flora: Soft an­nual; culms tufted, 15-60 cm. long; leaves 2-5 mm. wide; in­florescence a simple or compound corymb to 7 cm. across, with 1- 6 rays to 5 cm. long, or sometimes capitate, the bracts 2 or 3, the lowest longer than the inflorescence; spikelets very densely disposed in subglobose spikes, linear, 3-10 mm. long, 1 mm. wide, compressed or slightly turgid, dark reddish brown to pale green, dull; scales obovate-orbicular, 0.5 mm. long, entire, rounded-emarginate, the keel rather acute, green; achenes nearly as long as the scale, 3-angled, pale, obovate; stigmas 3.      Aug.-Oct. Common in wet places or in paddy fields

Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu. Ryukyus, Formosa, Korea, China, India, Malaysia, Australia, s. Europe, and Africa.