Plants cespitose; rhizomes short or inconspicuous. Culms trigonous in cross section, 30–100 cm, scabrous-angled distally. Leaves: basal sheaths reddish purple, thickened, not spongy; ligules longer than wide; blades mid to dark green, flat to W-shaped, widest leaves 2.5–6.2 mm wide, smooth adaxially. Inflorescences 10–36 cm; proximal bract 12–55 cm, exceeding but not more than 2.5 times as long as inflorescence; proximal 2–4(–5) spikes pistillate, erect, ca. 20–150-flowered, cylindric; terminal 2–3 spikes staminate, well elevated beyond summit of separate pistillate spikes. Pistillate scales lanceolate to ovate, 2.6–5.5 × 0.8–2 mm, shorter than perigynia, margins entire, apex acute to acuminate, awnless. Perigynia ascending, often green or straw colored, strongly 9–20-veined, veins running into beak, lanceolate, 7.5–10.1 × 1.5–2.4(–2.7) mm, 3.4–5 times as long as wide, leathery, apex gradually tapered; beak indistinct, 1.5–3 mm, bidentate, smooth, teeth straight, 0.2–0.9 mm. Stigmas 3. Achenes brown, symmetric, not indented, trigonous, smooth.
