Plants densely cespitose; rhizome internodes 2.4-2.7 mm thick. Culms yellow-brown to red-brown at base, 25-60 cm. Leaves: sheaths scabrous; blades, especially of overwintered leaves, glaucescent, widest blades (3.4-)3.7-5.8(-6.1) mm wide, smooth or papillose abaxially, papillae especially on overwintered leaves. Inflorescences 0.22-0.86 of culm height; peduncles of lateral spikes smooth or barely scaberulous; peduncles of terminal spikes 6.6-42(-58) mm, barely to much exceeding lateral spikes; proximal bract with sheath tight, abaxially scabrous, sheath front apex slightly convex, elongated 0.3-3.7(-4.4) mm; ligules 0.7-3.4 mm; distal bract overlapping but not exceeding terminal spike. Spikes (3-)4-5(-6), separate or distal 2-4 overlapping; lateral spikes pistillate or rarely androgynous, with (2-)3-11 perigynia, 6-39 × 3.8-6.8 mm, ratio of spike length (in mm) to flower number = 2.3-4.9; terminal spikes (12-)18-46 × 1.4-3 mm, longest ones (25-)30-45 mm. Pistillate scales (3.5-)4.1-7 × 1.3-2.5 mm, margins whitish, entire, apex with awn (0.1-)1.2-4.1 mm. Staminate scales 3.8-4.3 × 1.3-1.6 mm. Anthers 2.9-3.4 mm. Perigynia spirally imbricate, 49-58-veined, unwrinkled, narrowly ellipsoid to obovoid, obtusely triangular in cross section, (3.7-)4-4.7(-5.1) × 1.5-1.7(-1.8) mm, (2.2-)2.5-3.1 times as long as wide, dull, base gradually tapered, apex abruptly contracted; beak slightly excurved, (0.5-)0.6-1 mm. Achenes broadly obovoid-ellipsoid to obovoid-ellipsoid, (2.5-)2.7-3.5 × 1.4-1.6(-1.7) mm, tightly enveloped by perigynia; stipe 0.3-0.5(-0.6) mm, bent 5-45°; beak 0.2 mm, bent 30-70°.

Fruiting spring. Mesic deciduous forests, in sandy loams and loamy sands on slopes above streams; of conservation concern; 90-200 m; Ala.

Carex brysonii is very rare and local. It is known from only five populations, all in the drainage of the Black Warrior River.