Plants cespitose, stout-rhizomatous. Culms 8.8–28 cm. Leaves: basal sheaths dark reddish to purplish brown; blades mostly basal, dark green, equaling or mostly exceeding culms, 1.4–4 mm wide, thick, margins smooth or scabrous. Inflorescences: peduncles of basal pistillate spikes filiform, arching, to 13 cm; peduncles of terminal staminate spikes 2–6 cm; proximal bracts short-sheathing; pistillate spikes 2–5, mostly emerging from basal nodes, proximal spikes arching, distal ones ascending, short-pedunclulate, widely separated, often with 1–2 staminate flowers at apex, obovoid to ellipsoid; terminal staminate spikes usually with 2–5 pistillate flowers at base, 7.5–9.8 × 1.8–2.3 mm. Scales: pistillate scales pale brown to reddish brown, ovate to obovate, apex retuse or truncate to obtuse, cuspidate; staminate scales dark reddish brown, ovate, apex cuspidate. Anthers 2–3.6 mm. Perigynia obovoid to oblanceoloid, 3.7–6 × 1.4–1.7 mm, base tapering, pubescent with short straight hairs; beak bent, 0.2–0.4 mm. Stigmas 3, thin, flexuous, strongly papillose. Achenes ellipsoid, 2.5 × 1.5–1.6 mm. 2n = 26.