Rhizome slender, creeping. Culms densely tufted, slender, 30-40 cm tall, compressed triquetrous, upper part scabrous, lower part smooth, with 4 or 5 bladeless sheaths at base; sheaths red-brown, usually splitting into reticulate fibers at lateral side. Leaves usually shorter than culm, rarely equaling culm, blades 2-3 mm wide, flat, verrucose on upper surface, margins scabrous. Lower involucral bracts leaflike, sheathed, involucral bracts at base of male spikes scalelike. Spikes 4-8; upper 3-6 male, contiguous at top of culm, subsessile; remaining spikes female, oblong or oblong-cylindric, 1.5-2.5 cm × 3-5 mm, loosely many flowered; peduncles slender. Female glumes stramineous, ovate-lanceolate or lanceolate, ca. 5 mm, 1-veined, margins white hyaline, apex acuminate. Utricles pale green, shorter than or equaling glume, narrowly ovate, ca. 4.5 mm, papery, obscurely 2-veined laterally on abaxial surface, base broadly cuneate, apex gradually narrowed to a long beak, orifice shortly 2-toothed. Nutlets loosely enveloped, obovate; style rather long; stigmas 3. Fl. and fr. May-Jun.
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