Plants colonial, long-rhizomatous. Culms 15–55 cm, smooth to scabrous distally. Leaves: proximal sheaths pale brown to dark brown, occasionally red tinged, 4.5–8(–10) mm thick; ligules 1.2–3.9 mm, usually 0.6–1.5 times as long as wide; leaf blades very glaucous, channeled, 4.5–40 cm × 1.5–3.5(–6.5) mm, coriaceous. Inflorescences 2.2–8.59(–12) cm, 0.6–1.8 length of proximal bract; proximal bract 0.8–11 mm, sheath 0–1.2cm, blade 0.8-10 cm; pistillate spikes densely flowered, ovoid to short-cylindric, 0.7–2.5 cm × 4–5.5 mm wide; lateral spikes erect or ascending on stiff peduncles. Pistillate scales pale brown to dark purple-brown with broad green center and narrow hyaline margins, obtuse to acute. Perigynia strongly ascending in the spikes, glaucous, fusiform, 3–4.8(–5) × (1–)1.3–2 mm wide, heavily papillose; beak absent or minute, erect, straight. Achenes pale to dark brown, 2.1–2.5 × 1.2–1.8 mm wide. 2n = 32.