Rhizome rather thick and short, long stoloniferous. Culms densely tufted, 35-55 cm tall, acutely triquetrous, slightly thick, scabrous on angles, bladeless sheathed at base. Leaves longer than culm, blades 4-6 mm wide, flat, distinctly 2-veined laterally, lower part smooth, scabrous near top, long sheathed. Involucral bracts leaflike, much longer than subtending spike, not sheathed. Spikes 3 or 4, rather congregate at top of culm; terminal spike male, narrowly cylindric, 2-5 cm, shortly pedunculate; lateral spikes female, cylindric, 3-6 cm, densely many flowered, shortly pedunculate. Male glumes stramineous, lanceolate, ca. 4 mm, membranous, 1-costate, apex aristate or mucronate, ciliate on margins of awn; female glumes stramineous, ovate, ca. 2 mm, membranous, 1-costate, apex aristate or mucronate, awn ciliate at margins. Utricles stramineous, suberect, elliptic, slightly inflated trigonous, ca. 5 mm, papery, several veined abaxially, base broadly cuneate, apex attenuate into a long beak, orifice emarginate or shortly 2-toothed. Nutlets dark brown, yellow-brown on angles, rather loosely enveloped, obovate, trigonous, ca. 2 mm, apex mucronate; style ± long; stigmas 3. Fl. and fr. Apr-May.
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