Plants densely cespitose. Culms 20–104 cm. Leaves: sheath white-hyaline, summits usually U-shaped, sometimes rounded and prolonged to 3 mm beyond collar; distal ligules 1–3(–6) mm; blades 3–5(–8) per fertile culm, 6–45 cm × 1.2–3(–3.7) mm. Inflorescences open or dense, green to brown, 1.1–3 cm × 5.4–16.3 mm, appearing fine-textured; proximal internode (1.5–)2.5–9.5 mm; 2d internode 1–3(–6) mm; proximal bracts scalelike or bristlelike shorter than inflorescences. Spikes 4–11(–14), densely or loosely aggregated, broadly ovoid to ovoid, 5–11 × 2.7–7.1 mm, base rounded or acute, apex usually rounded. Pistillate scales usually white-hyaline or hyaline gold, occasionally chestnut to dark brown, with pale to green midstripe, ovate to broad-ovate, 2.1–3.5(–3.9) mm, shorter than or ± covering perigynia, margin white, 0–0.2 mm wide, apex obtuse to acuminate. Perigynia ascending to spreading, green, straw colored to light brown, or whitish, conspicuously (0–)2–8(–11)-veined abaxially, conspicuously 0–6-veined adaxially, veins thick, reaching, not extending beyong top of achene, lance-ovate to ovate, plano-convex, 2.4–4(–4.3) × 0.9–1.9 mm, 0.4–0.5(–0.6) mm thick, 2.1–2.7 times as long as wide, margin flat, including wing 0.15–0.3(–0.45) mm wide, ciliate-serrulate at least on distal body; beak green, gold, brown or white-hyaline at tip, flat, ± ciliate-serrulate or cylindric, unwinged, ± entire for 0.4–0.7 mm, abaxial suture usually inconspicuous, distance from beak tip to achene 1.2–2 mm. Achenes elliptic to quadrate, 1–1.6 × 0.7–1.25 mm, (0.3–)0.4–0.5(–0.6) mm thick. 2n = 84.
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