Culms 30-90 cm, sparsely pilose. Leaves: sheaths pilose; ligules as long as or slightly longer than wide; blades 1.5-4 mm wide, pilose. Inflorescences: terminal spike gynecandrous, at least 1/2 of flowers pistillate, 12-22 mm; lateral spikes usually crowded, 6-16 × 4.5-11 mm. Pistillate scales lanceolate, 2.5-3.5(-5) × 1.1-1.5(-1.7) mm, exceeding perigynia, apex acuminate, at least proximal scale with awn 0.5-2 mm. Staminate scales lanceolate, 3.2-5.2 mm, apex acuminate, often awned. Anthers 2-3 mm. Perigynia spreading, 9-13-veined, obovate-circular, circular in cross section, 2.5-4 × 1.4-2.1 mm, papillose, pubescent; beak absent. Achenes 2-2.6 × (1.1-)1.4-1.7 mm. 2n = 64. Fruiting late spring-early summer. Dry to mesic grasslands, forest margins; 0-500 m; Ark., Conn., Del., D.C., Ga., Ill., Ind., Kans., Md., Mass., Mich., Miss., Mo., Nebr., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Okla., Pa., R.I., Tenn., Tex., Va., W.Va.