Glabrous. Rhizome 1/4– 1/3 in. in diam., whence descend thick smooth red roots. Stems 1 1/2–3 ft. long, rather stout, triquetrous, rough on the angles. Leaves nearly as long as the stem, 1/4– 1/3 in. broad. Inflorescence up to 6 1/2 by 3/4 in., very dense (sometimes interrupted at the base), from straw-colour to rusty brown; lowest bract not sheathing, usually as long as the panicle, but in one example nearly a foot long. Spikes exceeding 1/4 in. in length, female at the base, some male at the top. Female glumes 1/6– 1/4 in. long, elliptic, acuminate, hardly mucronate. Utricle 1/6– 1/4 in. long, elongate-lanceolate, attenuated at either end, plano-convex, thin, appearing winged, smooth, with 3–5 thin nerves on the plane face, 9 thin nerves on the convex face, finally straw-coloured; beak elongate-conic, split nearly to the base on the convex face, margins sparingly scabrid; style-branches 2, linear, long.
