Plants densely cespitose. Culms 30-140 cm. Leaves: sheaths adaxially conspicuously green-veined nearly to collar, narrow hyaline band or sharp Y-shaped region at collar, adaxially firm, sometimes papillose, summits U-shaped; distal ligules 2.8-8 mm; blades 3-7 per fertile culm, 11-50 cm × 2.5-6 mm. Inflorescences dense or open, pale green or brown, 2-6.5 cm × 7-20 mm; proximal internode 3-13 mm; 2d internode 4-10 mm; proximal bracts scalelike with bristle tips shorter than inflorescences. Spikes 3-11, distant, distinct, ellipsoid to ovoid, 6-20 × 4-9 mm, base rounded or short-acute, apex broadly acute to obtuse. Pistillate scales white-hyaline or tan, with green midstripe extending to tip, lanceolate, 2.8-3.5(-3.8) mm, shorter or longer and much narrower than perigynia, apex firm, acuminate or awned to 0.8 mm. Perigynia ± spreading, light or golden brown, faintly 3-8-veined on each face, obovate, flat except over achene, 4-5.5 × 2.5-3.8 mm, 0.4-0.5 mm thick, margin flat, including wing 0.8-1.5 mm wide; beak light brown at tip, flat, 0.85-2.2 mm, ciliate-serrulate, abaxial suture with light brown margin, distance from beak tip to achene 1.8-3 mm. Achenes oblong, 1.7-2 × 0.9-1.1 mm, 0.3-0.4 mm thick. 2n = 74. Fruiting late spring-mid summer. Peaty shores, marshes, wet thickets, woods; 0-400 m; Ont.; Ala., Ark., Conn., Del., D.C., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Ky., La., Md., Mass., Mich., Mo., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Okla., Pa., R.I., S.C., Tenn., Tex., Va.