This taxon occurs mostly on the Coastal Plain, from Texas to Maine, and around the Great Lakes; but it has not been reported from Ky. (Hitchcock & Chase 1950, FNA 25). In Tenn., it is known only from the eastern Highland Rim (SERNEC 2023). A coll. from CALL (SIU) that is referred here to longiligulatum may be at least transitional to spretum. These two taxa have been treated as subspecies of acuminatum (FNA 25), but Thomas (2015) has revived their status as species. However, recent analysis of DNA indicates that spretum is nested within the dichotomum complex, and might have hybrid origin (Majure et al. 2023). D. spretum differs from lindheimeri (and longiligulatum) as follows: inflorescence <1/3 as wide as long (versus at least half) and more dense; spikelets acute to attenuate at apex and ovate to lanceolate in outline (versus obtuse at apex and elliptic to elliptic-ovate in outline); leaves and sheaths rigid with smooth texture (versus papery); collar region of vernal leaves eciliate (versus usually ciliate).