Plants stoloniferous, emergent or immersed. Culms 10–50 cm, suberect to erect. Leaves mostly basal or scattered along the culms, not conspicuously float-ing or streaming in the current; sheaths glabrous or ciliate; ligules to about 6 mm, lanceolate, acuminate; pseudopetioles sometimes present; blades 3–30(39) cm long, 1–6 mm wide, glabrous or puberulent. Inflorescencespanicles; pedicels capillary. Staminate panicles 4–6 cm, terminal, with 9–17 spikelets; staminate florets 4–8 mm; lemmaslanceolate, faintly 5–9-veined; paleas similar, 3-veined; anthers 6, 2–4 mm, linear. Pistillate panicles to about 12 cm, arising from the lower nodes of the culms, all or mostly exserted, with 9–17 spikelets; branches slender, divergent to reflexed; pistillate florets 3–5 mm, caducous; lemmas 8–13-veined, acuminate or caudate; paleas similar, 6–8-veined; stigmas 2–4 mm. Achenes1.5–2.2 mm, ovoid or broadly ellipsoid, lightly to moderately striate, somewhat lustrous. 2n = 24.
Luziola bahiensis is native from the Caribbean south to Argentina. It has been found at scattered locations in southern Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and north-western Florida. It grows in wet places or shallow water along streams and lakes.