Rhizome short, without stolons. Culms densely tufted, 20-50(-85) cm tall, slender, compressed triquetrous, smooth, with few bladeless sheaths at base. Leaves basal, shorter than culm, blades 2-3 mm wide, plicate near base and gradually flattened distally. Lower involucral bracts leaflike, upper blades of involucral bracts setaceous, sheaths up to 2 cm. Spikes 3 or 4; terminal spike male or sometimes with female flowers at apex or base; lateral spikes female, single in an involucral bract sheath, oblong-cylindric or oblong, (8-)15-20(-30) mm, densely many flowered; peduncles slender. Female glumes brown-yellow, ovate-lanceolate, 2.8-3 mm, green 3-veined, apex acute, muticous. Utricles pale green, longer than glume, suberect, elliptic, obtusely trigonous, ca. 3.5 mm, papery, inconspicuously veined, base abruptly contracted into a short stipe, apex gradually narrowed to a medium-sized to long beak, orifice shortly 2-toothed, red-brown on margins. Nutlets yellowish, oblong-obovate or obovate, trigonous, ca. 1.5 mm, base stipitate; style rather long; stigmas 3. Fl. and fr. May-Jun.
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