This grassy plant, endemic in Europe, mainly forms cylindrical, sometimes up to 3 m tall stems in which the ‘pit’ can be found which chair-caners use for their plaiting. The rather stiff, linear and gutter-shaped leaves of mostly about a lenth of 20 cm can reach a length of several meters in deeper waters. The reddish-brown, rather loose spikes appear at the leaf-tips. The plant will stay amazingly green for a long time during winter. It may grow rather rampant, so plant the roots closed-in (in a container). The root-tips are solid and sharp. After flowering 3 mm tall, three-sided seeds are produced. For a preferably sunny spot in shallow, reasonably fertile water and a rather heavy soil ro root in. Perfectly winter-hardy.
