Rice Cutgrass is a creeping perennial with flat, pale yellowish-green leaves that have rough edges. Its inflorescence is usually enclosed within a cowl-like sheath at first, and the branches when they emerge are wavy. This species flowers from August to October and has a habit of climbing over other plants on the river banks and ditches where it is found. It seems to tolerate quite acid conditions but needs stagnant or slow-moving water with a regular seasonal rainfall or water-level rise.