Rhizomes 2–6 mm diam.; scales much shorter than internodes, disintegrating to fibers. Culms sharply trigonous, sides convex to flat near base, concave distally, 0.7–2.3 m × 2.5–6 mm, smooth. Leaves 3–5, basal; sheath fronts not pinnate-fibrillose; blades 2–3, proximally V-shaped, distally trigonous to asymmetrically laterally flattened in cross section, angles distally scabridulous; distal blade 1–1.5 times as long as sheath, 9–30 cm × 2–7 mm. Inflorescences capitate or rarely with 1–2 branches to 5 mm; proximal bract usually erect, resembling leaf blade, trigonous proximally, (1–)3–20 cm. Spikelets 3–35, 6–15 × 4–5 mm; scales bright orange-brown or partly purplish, ovate, 3.5–5.5 × 2–3 mm, smooth or awn sparsely spinulose, margins deciduously ciliolate, flanks of proximal scale sometimes with a few ribs, midrib prominent, apex acute, notch 0.6–1 mm deep, awn irregularly bent, 1–1.5 mm. Flowers: perianth members 3–6, orange-brown, bristlelike, very slender, some equaling achene, some often rudimentary, retrorsely spinulose; anthers 2–3 mm; styles 2-fid. Achenes brown, unequally biconvex, obovoid to obpyriform, 1.9–2.6 × 1.3–1.7 mm; beak 0.1–0.3 mm. 2n = 78.
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