| Author | (Lamarck) Roemer & J.A. Schultes | |
| Distribution | Outer Banks, barrier islands, and outer Coastal Plain.
Coastal Plain, NC to southern FL, TX, and AR; southward to S.A. | |
| Abundance | Uncommon on the Outer Banks and barrier islands; rare to uncommon on the mainland. Where found, plants may be locally common or even abundant. The NCNHP's State Rank of S1 is clearly too conservative, and the species deserves a State Rank now of S2, especially with about 18 records in their database. This is a Significantly Rare species. | |
| Habitat | Mesic to dry soils of maritime forests, along trails through these forests. Cypress-gum swamp beside the Cape Fear River (Bladen Co.), shore of blackwater stream (Brunswick Co.), old railroad bridge near blackwater river (New Hanover Co.), campground (Washington Co.), moist woods by Lake Phelps (Washington Co.); also in various rich forests over marl. Favors sites over calcareous material. | |
| Phenology | Flowering and fruiting August-October. | |
| Identification | This species is notable for forming patches of plants with stems and leaves on the ground. The outermost portions of stems rise up and produce several spikelets, each with long awns. Note the transverse ribbing on the leaf surface. In recent years the alien O. hirtellus/undulatifolius has been reported from MD and VA and is likely to occur here. It differs in the long-pilose (3-5 mm) leaf sheaths, stems, and leaf surfaces. | |
| Taxonomic Comments | Some authors place it as a subspecies or variety of the pantropical O. hirtellus.
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| Other Common Name(s) | Basketgrass (the name for members of the genus), Woods-grass | |
| State Rank | S1 [S2] | |
| Global Rank | G5T5 [G5] | |
| State Status | SR-P | |
| US Status | | |
| USACE-agcp | | |
| USACE-emp | | |
