Plants densely cespitose. Culms 60–115 cm. Leaves: sheaths adaxially green-veined at least in proximal 1/2, Y-shaped white-hyaline band extending at least 10 mm proximal to collar, firm, summits rounded, usually prolonged to 3–9 mm beyond collar; distal ligules (1.5–)3–13 mm; blades 4–5(–6) per fertile culm, 20–45 cm × 4–7 mm. Inflorescences proximal branches often bearing more than 1 spike, open or dense, green to pale gold, 3.5–8 cm × 10–16 mm; proximal internode 3–18 mm; 2d internode 3–9 mm; proximal bracts bristlelike, shorter than inflorescences or occasionally leaflike. Spikes 11–35, distant or aggregated, individually distinct or indistinct, lanceoloid to broadly ovoid, 10–18 × 5–7 mm, base acute to attenuate, apex rounded to tapered. Pistillate scales white-hyaline or gold, occasionally tinged brownish or green, with green to gold midstripe, lanceolate or ovate, (2.8–)3.6–4.5 mm, shorter or longer and narrower than perigynia, apex long-acuminate to awned. Perigynia ascending to spreading, green to gold, conspicuously 8–11-veined abaxially, conspicuously 5–8-veined adaxially, ovate, plano-convex, 2.9–4(–4.8) × 1–1.7 mm, 0.5 mm thick, margin flat, including wing 0.1–0.2(–0.3) mm wide, ciliate-serrulate at least distally; beak gold or white at tip, usually cylindric, sometimes falcate, unwinged, ± entire for 0.1–0.5 mm, abaxial suture usually inconspicuous, distance from beak tip to achene 1.3–2(–2.8) mm. Achenes ovate to elliptic, 1.3–1.6 × 0.8–1.2 mm, (0.3–)0.4–0.5 mm thick.
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