Rhizome short, woody. Culms densely tufted, 20-40 cm tall, slender, trigonous, scabrous, clothed at base with bladeless sheaths. Basal leaves shorter to slightly longer than culm, scabrid on margin. Inflorescence 1-spiked, terminal, androgynous, narrowly cylindric, 2-2.5 cm; male part shorter than female part, 6-11-flowered; female part loosely 9-14-flowered. Female glumes pale green, obovate, 4-4.5 mm, costa green, apex acuminate. Utricles pale green, erect to obliquely patent, slightly longer than glume, obovoid, compressed trigonous, 5-6 mm, herbaceous, glabrous, abaxially distinctly many veined, apex abruptly constricted into a short beak ca. 1.5 mm, orifice slightly bidentate. Nutlet broadly obovoid, trigonous or quadrangular, ca. 2.5 mm, lateral surface excavated, base stipitate; stigmas 3. Fl. and fr. Apr-May.