Plants not cespitose, long-rhizomatous. Culms 5-40 cm. Leaves flat, straight, 1.5-2.5 mm wide. Spike pistillate, or staminate, or, rarely, androgynous. Pistillate scales shorter than to equaling the perigynia, beak and distalmost body of perigynia exposed, apex obtuse to cuspitate. Perigynia 3-4 mm, distal margins smooth; beak tip dark.

Fruiting Jun-Aug. Bogs, wet meadows; 10-1000 m; B.C., Yukon; Alaska, Wash.; Eurasia [Russian Far East (Chukotka)].