Culms densely tufted, erect, ascending, rarely decumbent, 28–61 cm × 0.7–1.2 mm. Leaves: basal sheaths pale brown; sheaths 0.8–32 mm; blades erect or ascending, glaucous, midrib well developed especially abaxially, 2 lateral veins developed adaxially, flat, 28–59 cm × 5–10 mm, dead leaves lateral to new clumps, blades of overwintered leaves densely papillose abaxially. Inflorescences: longer peduncles of proximal lateral spikes 1.4–14 times as long as spikes they subtend; peduncles of terminal spike 0.4–11 cm. Bracts 0.2–1 cm × 2–4.5 mm, longest bract blade 5–8 cm; bract blades of distal lateral spikes linear, narrower than spikes, widest bract blade of distalmost lateral spike 0.5–3.4 mm wide. Spikes 4(–5) per culm; lateral spikes 14–45 × 2.2–4.5 mm, distal lateral spikes separate; terminal spike linear, 12–40 × 2–3.5 mm. Pistillate scales 3–9 × 1.4–2.1 mm, apex aristate, rarely acute, awn 1–5 mm, serrulate. Staminate scales 7–11 × 1.2–2 mm, margins hyaline. Anthers 3.2–3.8 mm. Perigynia 3–10 per spike, loosely overlapping, ratio of longer lateral spike length to pergynia number 1.9–3.4, ascending, finely, conspicuously (22–)25–32-veined, obovate, 3.1–4.5 × 1.8–2.3 mm; beak slightly recurved, 0.9–1.5 mm. Achenes obovoid, 1.2–2.8 × 0.9–1.4 mm. 2n = 46.
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