Rhizomes ascending, cordlike, 0.5–1.4 mm in diam. Culms arising singly or, occasionally, 2(–4) together, weakly trigonous, distinctly furrowed, 5–30 cm; lateral sterile shoots conspicuously developed, curved. Leaf blades filiform, 1–9(–12) cm × 0.4–1 mm. Inflorescence a unisexual spike (68% pistillate, 30% staminate) or, rarely, gynecandrous (2%); staminate spikes 8–21 mm; pistillate spikes ± loosely 6–20-flowered, narrowly oblong to ellipsoid, 7–17 × 3–6 mm. Pistillate scales with margins yellowish, broad, scarious (almost hyaline), almost 1/2 width of central dark brown portion. Perigynia appressed to weakly spreading, reddish brown, 13–18-striate and 2-ribbed, ovate to oblong-ovate, plano-convex, 2.8–3.5 × 1–1.3 mm; beak 0.7–1 mm, margins glabrous. Achenes 1.6–2 × 0.9–1.3 mm. 2n = 43.
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