Plants densely cespitose. Culms 30–120(–140) cm; vegetative culms with few leaves clustered at apex. Leaves: sheaths adaxially conspicuously green-veined nearly to collar, with a narrow hyaline band or sharp Y-shaped hyaline region at collar; adaxially firm, summits U-shaped, finely papillose; distal ligules 1.8–4.4(–6) mm; blades 2–4(–6) per fertile culm, 8–30 cm × 2–4.5 mm. Inflorescences ± erect, usually open, green to brown, 1–4.5(–6) cm × 5–14 mm; proximal internode 1–14 mm; 2d internode 3–8 mm; proximal bracts scalelike, often with bristle tips. Spikes 3–10, distinct, ellipsoid to ovoid, 6–13(–17) × 3.8–7 mm, base rounded or obtuse, apex obtuse to broadly acute; staminate portion 2 mm or less. Pistillate scales white-hyaline, becoming pale silvery brown with age, with pale or green center, broadly lanceolate, 2.2–3.7 mm, shorter and narrower than perigynia, apex obtuse. Perigynia appressed-ascending, green to drab brown, conspicuously 5–many-veined on each face, obovate, flat except over achene, 3–4.6 × 1.6–2.6(–2.8) mm, 0.4–0.5 mm thick, margin flat, including wing 0.5–0.8 mm wide; beak green to brown at tip, flat, broadly triangular, ciliate-serrulate, abaxial suture with conspicuous white hyaline margin, distance from beak tip to achene 1.4–2.2 mm. Achenes oblong, 1.3–1.7 × 0.7–1 mm, 0.4–0.5 mm thick, apiculum less than 0.4 mm; style straight. 2n = 58, 62.
