The sheath margins of Cumberland are not fused. Blades are broad at the base and taper to a very fine tip. Blade margins have sharp downwardly pointing teeth that can easily tear flesh. These bracts do not end in fine needlelike tips. The lower two bracts are called glumes, the middle one is the lemma, and the upper most the palea.
Glumes are firm and unequal in length with one prominent rib.
Lemmas are shorter than to equal in length with the second glume. They also have one rib with a tuft of hair at the base. Paleas have two ribs and a shallowly two-toothed apex. The palea is shorter than the lemma but similar in texture. Each fertile floret has six stamens and one pistil.