Prairie cord grass is one of the handful of dominant prairie grasses. It is found in lower, wetter portions of Anderson Prairie. You can tell by the presence of cattails (Typh latifolia) in the photograph that the moisture level of this area is fairly high.

Analyzing surrounding plants, topography and the amount of sun

or shade present can help you make fairly consistent identifications by a simple process of elimination.

Even though some plants, like big bluestem, occur in a variety of wet or dry conditions, knowing the habitat requirements of a plant can often help narrow the field of possible candidates.