Rhizome long stoloniferous, slender. Culms 30-60 cm tall, compressed trigonous, usually loosely pilose, clothed at base with purple-red bladeless sheaths, sparsely pilose. Leaves shorter than culm, blades broadly linear, 5-8 mm wide, sparsely pilose on veins and margins. Involucral bracts leaflike, usually pilose, shorter than inflorescence, sheathing 2-5 cm. Spikes 3 or 4, distant; terminal spike male, oblong or linear-clavate, 2-3 cm, with long peduncle much overtopping next spike; lateral spikes female, narrowly cylindric, 2-4 cm, loosely 8-12-flowered; peduncles usually smooth, lowest one up to 12 cm. Female glumes purple or ferruginous, ovate or elliptic, green 3-veined costa excurrent into a mucro, apex slightly obtuse. Utricles light green, becoming yellow, longer than glume, ovate or subelliptic, swollen trigonous, 4-5 mm, membranous, glabrous or sparsely pilose, many veined, base contracted into a short stipe, apex abruptly contracted into a long conic beak, beak curved, obliquely truncate, emarginate, orifice purple-red, 2-toothed. Nutlets tightly enveloped, obovate, obtusely trigonous, ca. 2.5 mm; style base not thickened; stigmas 3. Fl. and fr. Apr-May. 2n = 44.
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