Herbs perennial, pubescent, to 1 m; rhizomes elongate, slender; corms present. Culms 1–several, then almost densely tufted, proximally smooth, distally hirsute. Leaves: principal blades linear to lance-linear, flat, 5–15 cm, glabrous or sparsely strigose or puberulent, margins proximally or entirely hispid-ciliate. Inflorescences in clusters of terminal spikelets or from 1–2(–3) penultimate nodes , proximal involucral bract exceeding peduncle and cluster. Spikelets ovoid to cylindric, 10–15(–20) mm; fertile scales 3–3.5 mm; cusp excurved, equal to length of scale; median ribs 3, strong. Flowers: perianth bristles incurved, mostly shorter than perianth stipes, mostly smooth; perianth blades short-oblong, ± as long as stipes, apex acute, strongly incurved, tumid distally, sometimes apiculate; anthers 3, 1–1.3 mm. Achenes: body angles wirelike, faces lustrous brown to red-brown, 1 mm; beak linear, hispidulous at dilated tip. 2n = 46.
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