Rhizome stoloniferous. Culms 20-40 cm tall, smooth. Leaves surpassing culm, blades linear, 2-4 mm wide, flat, margins scabrous, apex long acuminate. Involucral bracts leaflike, lower involucral bracts sheathing, upper involucral bracts shortly sheathing or not. Spikes 3-5, lowest spike distant, upper spikes approximate; terminal spike male, cylindric, subacute, ca. 2 cm, shortly pedunculate; lateral spikes female, often bearing several male flowers, oblong or cylindric, shortly pedunculate. Female glumes pale white, ovate-lanceolate or ovate, green 1-veined costa excurrent into an awn. Utricles green-brown, equaling glume, ovate-trigonous, ca. 3 mm, apex abruptly contracted into a short beak, orifice 2-toothed. Nutlets obovate or broadly ovate, ca. 1.2 mm, trigonous, faces concave with grains transparent on surfaces, apex rounded; style base not thickened; stigmas 3. Fl. and fr. May-Jun.