Perennial with 2-4 mm thick, creeping rhizome covered by ovate-lanceolate, fuscous to blackish sheaths. Stems approximate, rigid, triquetrous, almost winged, smooth, 30-175 cm by 2-4 mm. Upper 1-2 leaves shortly to rather long-laminate, abruptly acuminate, the others reduced to membranous, purplish sheaths transversely corrugate on the anterior side. Inflorescence capitate, consisting of a single, ovoid to oblong-ovoid head, (6-)10-12(-16) by 6-8(-10) mm. Involucral bracts usually 3, spreading to reflexed, up to 20 cm. Spikelets numerous, obliquely spreading, oblong-elliptic or ovate-elliptic, strongly compressed, 1(-2)-flowered, stramineous to fuscous, falling off as a whole, 3-4½ by 1-1½ mm. Glumes hyaline, ovate-lanceo-late or elliptic-ovate, mucronulate, with sharp, smooth or spinulose keel, 1st and 2nd small, 3rd 2½-3½ mm, with 3-4-nerved sides, 4th 3-4 mm, with 2-nerved sides. Stamens 3; anthers linear, 1-1½ mm. Stigmas 2. Nut biconvex, laterally compressed, oblong to obovate, shortly apiculate, brown to black, 1½-2 by 3/5-1l/5 mm.
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