Plants with basal and proximal sheaths red-papillose, those of previous year not persistent. Culms to 70 cm × 1.5 mm, scabrous. Leaves: sheaths usually all with blades, proximal 2–3 to 10 cm with reduced blades, green, fronts of proximal sheaths herbaceous, prominently veined, not splitting, apex truncate, fronts of distal sheaths hyaline, indistinctly veined with linear veins, smooth, apex colorless, thickened concave, entire; ligules obtuse, 1.5 mm, free limb to 0.5 mm; blades not clustered at base, not epistomic, to 60 cm × 5 mm. Inflorescences very condensed, ovoid, with 5–10 individually indistinguishable branches, 2.5 × 1.5 cm; proximal internode not visible, not more than 3 mm; proximal bracts scalelike, inconspicuous. Scales hyaline, brown, subequal to perigynia, acute. Perigynia pale brown, 15-veined abaxially, 7–12-veined adaxially, to 4.5 × 2 mm, base distended only slightly proximally, cordate; stipe to 0.2 mm; beak to 2 mm, smooth or subserrulate, apical teeth to 0.3 mm. Achenes ovate, to 2 × 1.5 mm; stalk to 0.2 mm; persistent style base cylindric.