Rhizome short. Culms tufted, 25-50 cm tall, 1-2.5 mm wide, trigonous, scabrous above, clothed at base with purple or dark purple bladeless sheaths disintegrating into fibers. Leaves shorter than culm, blades 2-3.5 mm wide, flat, apex acuminate. Lowest involucral bract leafy, overtopping inflorescence, sheathless, remaining bracts setaceous. Spikes 3 or 4, contiguous or lowest distant; terminal spike gynaecandrous, 1.5-2.5 × ca. 0.8 cm; lateral spikes female, or occasionally with a few male flowers at base, purplish brown, oblong or cylindric, 1.5-2.5 × ca. 0.8 cm; lowest peduncle 2-5 mm, upper spikes subsessile. Female glumes dark purple-brown, long lanceolate, 3.5-4 mm, 1-veined. Utricles dark purple-brown, longer than glume, narrowly oblong or long elliptic, 3.2-4.5 mm, membranous, without conspicuous veins except for 2 costas on edges, base contracted into a short stipe, apex gradually narrowed into a beak, orifice obliquely truncate. Nutlets castaneous, enveloped, ovate, trigonous, rather small, ca. 1.5 mm, sessile; stigmas 3. Fl. and fr. Sep.
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