Rhizomes brown or black, scaly. Culms 4–20 cm. Leaf blades channeled, tips soon becoming brown and dry, 2–12 cm × 1–3 mm. Spike with 3–15 pistillate flowers, 8–20 × 1.5–4 mm. Pistillate scales brown, margins hyaline, midvein paler, circular-ovate 2.5–4 × 1.4–2.6 mm, apex obtuse, often concealing perigynia. Staminate scales brown, margins hyaline, midvein paler, oblong-lanceolate to obovate, 2.5–3.5 × 1.4–2 mm, apex acute or obtuse. Perigynia 2.5–4 × 1–2 mm. Achenes oblong-obovoid, 2.2–2.5 × 1.5 mm. 2n = 52.