Plants densely cespitose; rhizomes absent. Culms trigonous, 7.5-36 cm, scabrous proximal to inflorescence. Leaves: basal sheaths orange to dark brown; distal leaf sheaths truncate to concave at mouth; blades (6-)15-250 × 0.5-0.8(-1) mm, equaling or shorter than culms at flowering, much shorter than culms at fruiting. Inflorescences: spikelets 3-6-flowered, 3.4-5.3 × 1.3-2.5 mm; bracts shorter than to slightly exceeding spikelets, 3-6 mm, apex mucronate or awned, awn to 1.4 mm. Spikelets: scales orange-brown to dark brown, midribs not reaching apices in distal scales, apex obtuse. Flowers: perianth bristles 3-6, pale brown, terete, equaling or shorter than achenes, scabrous; anthers 0.7-1.5 mm. Achenes compressed trigonous, 1.5-2 × 1-1.2 mm. Fruiting late summer (May-Jul). Open, dry to mesic prairies, meadows, riverbanks, rock outcrops, on lime-rich substrates; 10-900 m; Alta., N.B., Ont., Que., Sask.; Maine, Mich., Minn., N.Y., Wis.