Rhizome stoloniferous. Culms tufted, 10-25 cm tall, slender, trigonous, scabrous, clothed at base with castaneous sheaths disintegrating into fibers. Leaves shorter than culm, blades linear, 1.5-3 mm wide, flat, margins rather stiffly scabrous. Basal involucral bracts setaceous, shorter than inflorescence, sheathless, upper ones glumelike. Spikes 2 or 3(or 4); terminal spike male, cylindric, 1.2-2 cm, with peduncle 3-9 mm; lateral spikes female, ovate or oblong, 0.5-1.5 cm, densely many flowered, lowest with peduncle 2-3 mm, upper sessile. Female glumes blackish brown or red-brown, oblong or oblong-lanceolate, 1.8-2.5 × 1-1.2 mm, with light midrib, margins white hyaline, apex slightly obtuse. Utricles light brown below, blackish brown above, longer than glume and 1/3-1/2 as broad, broadly ovate or subglobose, plano-convex, 2-3 × 2.3-2.5 mm, densely minutely papillose, nerveless, apex rounded, with a short cylindric beak, orifice emarginate with small teeth. Nutlets ovate, ca. 2 mm; style base not thickened; stigmas 2. Fl. and fr. Jul-Aug.

Meadows, wet places; 2000-5000 m. Gansu, Qinghai, Xinjiang, Xizang [Afghanistan, NW India, Kashmir, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia].