Erianthus coarctatus, the compressed plumegrass or brown plume grass, is a species of perennial grass found in North America.
Erianthus coarctatus can reach in height, with blades up to in length and 1 centimeters in width. The blades are with glabrous sheaths. When grain is produced, it is ellipsoid in shape, reddish in color, and reaches a length of .
Within North America E. coarctatuss range stretches from Delaware to Florida and westward to Texas.
It can be found in mesic environments such as marshes, swamps, and depression ponds. E. coarctatus is often observed in habitats that experience frequent fire.