Plants with basal sheaths of previous year persistent as linear fibers. Culms to 60 cm × 2 mm, usually scabrous abaxially. Leaves: proximal sheaths usually all with blades, fronts hyaline, smooth, apex colorless, hyaline, concave, entire; ligules obtuse, 5 mm, free limb to 0.2 mm; blades clustered at base, not epistomic, to 60 cm × 4 mm. Inflorescences very condensed, ovoid to shortly cylindric, with 5–10 individually indistinguishable branches, to 2.5 × 1.5 cm; proximal internodes not visible, not more than 3 mm; proximal bract scalelike, inconspicuous. Scales hyaline, dark brown, subequal to perigynia, acute. Perigynia pale brown, 7–11-veined abaxially, 5–7-veined adaxially, to 3.5 × 1.5 mm, base not distended proximally, rounded or cordate; stipe to 0.1 mm; beak to 1.5 mm, smooth or subserrulate, apex entire, oblique or, sometimes, bidentate with teeth to 0.1 mm. Achenes ovate, to 1.5 × 1 mm; persistent style base cylindric.