Plants densely cespitose; rhizome internodes 1.2–2.8 mm thick. Culms yellow-brown at base, 10–50 cm. Leaves: sheaths glabrous; blades glaucous, widest blades 6.1–12.3 mm wide, smooth abaxially. Inflorescences 0.71–0.93 of culm height, rarely all spikes separate, peduncles of lateral spikes smooth, 0.4–11 cm; peduncles of terminal spikes 1.5–37(–62) mm, usually overlapping or shorter than distal lateral spike; proximal bract sheath loose, abaxially glabrous, sheath front slightly convex, elongated 0.2–2.2 mm beyond apex; ligules (3–)5.2–10.2 mm; distal bract slightly shorter than to much exceeding terminal spike. Spikes (3–)4–6, usually distal 2–3 overlapping; lateral spikes pistillate, longest ones with 11–25(–28) perigynia, 8–32 × 3.3–6.1(–6.8) mm, ratio of spike length (in mm) to flower number = (0.97–)1–1.3(–1.6); terminal spikes 6–32 × 1.8–3.3 mm. Pistillate scales 1.9–3.2(–4.5) × 1.3–2.2 mm, margins pale ferrugineous to whitish, entire, apex with awn 0.1–0.9(–1.9) mm. Staminate scales (3.9–)4.5–5.3 × 1.6–2 mm. Anthers 1.6–2.6 mm. Perigynia spirally imbricate, 42–56-veined, unwrinkled, narrowly ovoid, (3.7–)3.9–4.5(–4.7) × 1.5–2.2 mm, (1.9–)2.1–2.6(–2.8) times as long as wide, obtusely triangular in cross section, dull, base gradually tapered, apex gradually tapered; beak absent or straight, 0–0.2(–0.4) mm. Achenes obovoid, 2.6–3.1 × (1.3–)1.4–1.6 mm, 0.5–0.63 times as long as perigynia, loosely enveloped by perigynia; stipe straight, 0.1–0.3(–0.5) mm; beak bent (0–)30–90°, (0.1–)0.2–0.4(–0.5) mm.
