| Author | Link | |
| Distribution | So far, known only from scattered locations in the Mountains, lower Piedmont, and northern outer Coastal Plain.
Newf. to WA, south to NC, AR, TX, NM. Most numerous in the Midwestern prairies. | |
| Abundance | Apparently rare, but perhaps overlooked. The NCNHP database lists 13 records, of which only about 8-9 are still extant; many of them have no population data. Given its wide spread of counties in the state, the website editors feel that S1 is too conservative, and that S1S2 is a more accurate State Rank. This is a State Threatened species. | |
| Habitat | Fresh marshes, mafic fens, riversides, shores of impoundments. Mainly in damp, high pH soils. | |
| Phenology | Flowering and fruiting July-October. | |
| Identification | Prairie Cordgrass in NC grows 4-5 feet tall, with leaves 1.5-2.5 feet long and sharp-edged on the margins. The plants grow from tough horizontal rhizomes. The inflorescence is terminal, up to 1.5 feet long, with strongly ascending (to nearly appressed) branches. The spikelets are conspicuously awned. This can hardly be confused with any other inland (non-tidal) grass in NC. | |
| Taxonomic Comments | | |
| Other Common Name(s) | Freshwater Cordgrass, Slough Grass | |
| State Rank | S1 [S1S2] | |
| Global Rank | G5 | |
| State Status | T | |
| US Status | | |
| USACE-agcp | OBL link |
| USACE-emp | OBL link |
