Plants densely cespitose. Culms 25-80 cm. Leaves: sheaths adaxially hyaline, often green-veined nearly to collar, summits U- or V-shaped or rounded, sometimes prolonged to 1.5 mm beyond collar; distal ligules 1-4 mm; blades 2-5 per fertile culm, 7-25 cm × 2-3.5 mm. Inflorescences stiffly erect, dense or open, greenish brown to gold, 2-4.5 cm × 12-20 mm; proximal internode 2-15 mm; 2d internode 2.5-5 mm; proximal bracts leaflike, much longer than inflorescence, or bristlelike. Spikes 5-8(-11), usually distinct, broadly ovoid, 8-11 × 5-8 mm, base and apex acute to rounded. Pistillate scales reddish brown, with paler center, ovate to broadly ovate, 4-5.5 mm, equaling, ± covering perigynia, hyaline margin absent or to 0.2 mm, apex acute to mucronate. Perigynia ascending to spreading, green, gold, or cream colored, conspicuously 7-11-veined abaxially, conspicuously 0(-2)-veined adaxially, ovate to broadly ovate, plano-convex to biconvex, 4-5 × 1.9-2.5 mm, 0.7-1.1 mm thick, margin flat, including wing 0.2-0.6 mm wide, often thickened; beak gold at tip, flat, ciliate-serrulate, abaxial suture usually inconspicuous, distance from beak tip to achene 1.7-2 mm. Achenes obovate to elliptic, 2.1-2.5 × 1.6-2 mm, 0.7-1 mm thick. 2n = 78. Fruiting spring-summer. Dry, acidic, sandy soils of open woods and clearings, moist shores; 0-400 m; Alta., B.C., Man., Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.), N.S., Ont., Que., Sask.; Maine, Mich., Minn., N.Y., Wis.