[2] It is a water circumboreal plant inhabiting North America, Europe, West Asia and Japan.

This bur-reed has thin, flexible, grasslike leaves which float in the water.

Plants that spend more time out of water at the waterline are tougher and have shorter leaves.

The plant bears two inflorescences, the staminate type being a rounded white filamentous ball and the pistillate type a sphere of thick, green, pointy peduncles.

The fruits are small green or brown achenes.