Rhizome rather long, obliquely ascending, slender stoloniferous. Culms loosely tufted, 10-20 cm tall, slender, acutely triquetrous, smooth, red-brown and bladeless sheathed at base, rudimentary sheaths usually disintegrating into fibers. Leaves shorter than or nearly equaling culm, blades 1-2 mm wide, flat, scabrous on upper surface and margins; sheaths yellowish, distinctly many veined, veins sometimes pallid or reddish. Involucral bracts shortly sheathed, lowest involucral bract leaflike, upper ones setiform. Spikes 2 or 3, rather approximate, congregated at top of culm; terminal spike male, clavate-linear or oblong, 0.8-1.2 cm, subsessile; lateral spikes female, ovate or subelliptic, 5-12 mm, loosely few to several flowered, lowest spike with slender peduncle, upper with very short peduncle or subsessile. Female glumes yellowish brown or brown, ovate, ca. 3 mm, membranous, with broad midrib, apex acute. Utricles stramineous in upper part and brownish on basal surface, obliquely patent, equaling or slightly longer than glume, obovate, obtusely trigonous, 3-3.5 mm, leathery, hispidulous, rather dense on upper part, with 2 distinct lateral veins abaxially, base cuneate, apex abruptly contracted into a short beak, orifice truncate and membranous. Nutlets yellow, elliptic or obovate-elliptic, trigonous, 2.5-2.8 mm, apex mucronate; style base slightly thickened; stigmas 3. Fl. and fr. Jun-Sep.
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