Culms to 120 cm × 7 mm. Leaf blades glaucous, to 100 cm × 8-15 mm. Inflorescences to 15 × 4 cm. Perigynia to 5-6 × 2 mm; beak 3-3.5 mm. Fruiting Apr-Jun. Seasonally saturated or inundated soils in wet meadows, marshes, edges of tidal marshes, cypress swamps, or alluvial bottomlands; 0-1500 m; Ala., Fla., Ga., Md., N.C., Ohio, S.C., Va., W.Va. Carex stipata var. maxima replaces Carex stipata var. stipata in the southern parts of its range and is distinguished by its larger size, longer perigynia, and longer beaks.