Plants perennial, cespitose, 20–50 cm, base bulbous; rhizomes scaly, compact, strongly tapering. Leaves nearly polystichous, spreading to ascending, 1/2 as long as culms; sheaths contracted, abruptly dilated, margins fimbriate-ciliate distally; ligule present, complete; blades narrowly linear, 1.5–2.5 mm wide, flat to shallowly involute, margin intermittently scabrid-ciliate, abaxial surface usually glabrous. Inflorescences: anthelae mostly simple, of 2–7 (–9) spikelets, ascending-branched, slightly mostly longer than broad; scapes slender, 1 mm wide, to very compressed distally; proximalmost involucral bract shorter than anthela. Spikelets red-brown, narrowly ovoid to lanceoloid or cylindric, 5–15 mm; fertile scales broadly ovate, 4.5–5 mm, glabrous to puberulent, midrib excurrent as cusp or mucro. Flowers: stamens 3; styles 2-fid, flat, fimbriate. Achenes dark brown to greenish brown, obovoid-lenticular, 1.2–1.5 mm, faces each 11–13-ribbed, cancellate, ribs connected by vertical rows of transversely rectangular pits.
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