Plants densely cespitose. Culms 50–90 cm; vegetative culms with numerous leaves spaced evenly along distal 1/2. Leaves: sheaths adaxially green-veined nearly to collar with V-shaped hyaline band extending 4–20 mm proximal to collar, somewhat loose, expanded near summit, ± wing-angled, adaxially firm, summits thin, U-shaped to rounded, sometimes shortly prolonged beyond collar; distal ligules 4–9 mm; blades 3–6 per fertile culm, 18–40 cm × 3–7 mm. Inflorescences nodding, open at least proximally, pale brown, 2.5–6 cm × 7–14 mm; proximal internode 5–12(–18) mm; 2d internode 3–11 mm; proximal bracts scalelike, sometimes bristlelike to 3 cm. Spikes 8–15, proximal spikes well spearated, nearly globose, 9–12 × 6–8(–9) mm, base tapered, apex rounded. Pistillate scales white to brown with brown or green midstripe not reaching tip, oblong-lanceolate to oblong-ovate, 2–2.7 × 0.9–1.5 mm, shorter and narrower than perigynia, apex obtuse to nearly acute. Perigynia usually 15–30 per spike, ascending to reflexed, with divergent beak, pale brown; conspicuously (3–)5–8-veined abaxially, conspicuously 3–6-veined adaxially, lanceolate, flat to plano-convex, thin, 2.9–4.3 × 1.2–1.6 mm, 0.3 mm thick, margin flat, including wing 0.2 mm wide; beak sometimes red-brown at tip, flat, ciliate-serrulate, distance from beak tip to achene 1.6–2.4 mm. Achenes ovate to oblong, 1.1–1.7 × 0.6–1 mm, 0.3 mm thick. 2n = 64.
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Much like no. 71 [Carex tribuloides Wahlenb.]; spikes subglobose to obovoid, 5–8 mm, about as thick, distinct and ± separated (at least the lower) in a rather lax and flexuous infl 3–5 cm; perigynia mostly 15–30, loosely ascending-spreading at maturity, dull brown, 3–5 mm, the wing usually gradually narrowed from the middle to the base, sharply nerved dorsally, obscurely so ventrally; 2n=64. Open swamps and wet meadows; Nf. to Man., s. to W.Va., Ill., and Mo. (C. tribuloides var. reducta)
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