It is a perennial clonal herb, 0.8 to 1.3 meters tall, and develops underground rhizomes that terminate in spherical or ellipsoid tubers that are up to 3-4 centimeters in diameter.

As a result of this limited range, it is at risk in Europe because of intensive fish pond management.

In the Momoge National Nature Reserve in Jilin, an important stopover area for long-term refueling, along the East Asian–Australasian Flyway, Bolboschoenus yagara and other species of Bolboschoenus, in tandem with Phragmites communis, was the preferred plant community type for the cranes.

[8] Bolboschoenus yagara tubers, known as jing sanleng (Mandarin: 荊三稜), are used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat a number of ailments such as hyperemesis gravidarum, amenorrhea, and inflammatory-related conditions.

[9] Previous studies have identified a number of metabolites from the tubers of Bolboschoenus yagara that are theorized to have anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and other properties, although these claims are speculative and their effectiveness has not been demonstrated in humans.