Rhizome short. Culms densely tufted, 10-40 cm tall, rather slender, lower part smooth, upper part scabrous, clothed at base with sheaths disintegrating into fibers. Leaves nearly basal, shorter than culm, blades 1-2 mm wide, slightly stiff, base plicate and gradually flattened distally, margins scabrous; sheaths 1-2 cm. Lowest involucral bracts leaflike, surpassing subtending spike, upper involucral bracts with setaceous blade, uppermost usually sheathlike. Spikes 3 or 4(-6), single in an involucral bract sheath, lower remote and upper contiguous; terminal spike gynaecandrous, female part shorter than male part, or sometimes male, surpassing uppermost female spike, oblong-obovate or clavate, 4-10 mm; lateral spikes female, oblong or shortly cylindric, 4-15 mm, densely many flowered; peduncles slender, lower ones rather long and upper short. Female glumes yellowish, broadly ovate or suborbicular, ca. 1.5 mm, membranous, 1-veined, apex obtuse, muticous. Utricles yellowish green, obliquely patent, slightly longer than glume, broadly obovate or suborbicular, inflated trigonous, 1.5-2 mm, membranous, inconspicuously veined, base broadly cuneate, apex abruptly contracted into a very short beak or nearly beakless, slightly scabrous on margins, orifice obliquely truncate. Nutlets loosely enveloped, broadly elliptic or obovate-elliptic, trigonous, ca. 1.2 mm, apex mucronate; style base not thickened; stigmas 3. Fl. and fr. Jun-Aug.
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