Plants without conspicuous rhizomes. Culms 30-100 cm, 3-6 mm wide basally, 0.7-1.1 mm wide distally. Leaves: proximal sheaths loose, longitudinally green-and-white-striped, green-and-white-mottled, with prominent cross veins on backs, fronts hyaline and transversely rugose; ligules 3-8 mm, as long as wide; widest leaf blades 5-10 mm wide. Inflorescences with 6-15 spikes, 3-15 cm × 8-12 mm, occasionally compound and then somewhat larger; proximal internodes usually 20+ mm, more than 2 times as long as proximal spikes; proximal bracts to 2 cm; spikes with up to 50 ascending to spreading perigynia. Pistillate scales hyaline with green midvein, ovate to subcircular, 1.8-2.5 × 1.1-1.8 mm, body 1/2 length of perigynium, apex obtuse to acuminate or short-awned. Anthers 0.7-1.3 mm. Perigynia pale green, with wing 0.1-0.2 mm wide distally, veinless or weakly veined abaxially, 3.3-4.3 × 1.5-2.5 mm, margins serrulate distally; beak 0.8-1.2 mm, apical teeth 0.2-0.4 mm. Achenes suborbiculate, 1.7-2.2 × 1.5-1.8 mm. 2n = 46, 48. Fruiting late spring-early summer. Dry to moist deciduous and mixed forests, forest edges, on neutral or basic soils; 50-300 m; Ont., Que.; Ark., Conn., Del., D.C., Ga., Ill., Iowa, Kans., Ky., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Mo., Nebr., N.H., N.J., N.Y., Ohio, Pa., S.Dak., Tenn., Vt., Va., W.Va., Wis.