Sandy, marly, or peaty hollows and shores, especially where water levels have lowered; often abundant in a distinct zone. This is one of our commonest annuals of bare, "drawdown" shores, but rather local northward.

Bulbostylis capillaris is superficially similar, but differs in its hair-like leaves, minute brown tubercle at the summit of the achene, and puberulent rounded scales. Fimbristylis autumnalis has flat leaves, no such tubercle, and glabrous acute to mucronate scales. Rhynchospora scirpoides is also similar, but differs from both in its 2-sided achenes with long persistent style, the base of which nearly or quite covers the summit of the achene, and its larger anthers (0.6–0.9 mm). The spikelets are generally thicker and darker, a useful impression for field recognition. Bulbostylis usually does not occur on the moist shores where F. autumnalis and Rhynchospora scirpoides are often growing together.