Rhizome stoloniferous. Culms 60-70 cm tall, subrigid, scabrous above, clothed at base with brown sheaths. Leaves shorter than culm, blades linear, 3-4 mm wide, flat, slightly soft. Lower involucral bracts subleafy, sheathless, upper ones glumelike. Spikes 5-7, contiguous, lowest spike much spaced, cylindric, 25-36 × 6-7 mm, densely flowered, upper 3 or 4 male (rarely with a few female flowers at base), remaining spikes female, usually with a few male flowers at apex; peduncles slender, with dense papillae, upper ones rather short. Female glumes dark purple or brown, oblong-lanceolate, 4-4.5 mm, margins white hyaline, 1-veined green costa ending in a mucro at apex. Utricles pale brown, shorter than glume, subrounded or broadly ovate, compressed trigonous, 2.3-2.5 mm, purple punctate, glabrous, nerveless, apex abruptly contracted into a very short beak, orifice hyaline and emarginate. Nutlets loosely enveloped, elliptic, base abruptly contracted into short stipe; style base not thickened; stigmas 3. Fl. and fr. Jul-Aug.
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