Culms usually aphyllopodic, without dead leaf remains at base, 20-60 cm. Leaf blades 1-2.5 mm wide, margins involute, scabrid. Inflorescences: proximal bracts 2-6 cm, shorter than inflorescences; lateral spikes sometimes androgynous, 6-20 × 4-8 mm, with 8-30 perigynia; terminal spikes 7-35 × 1.5-2.5(-3) mm. Pistillate scales ovate to ovate-circular, 3-5.5 × 2-3.4 mm, wider and as long as or slightly longer than perigynia, apex obtuse to subacute, sometimes mucronate. Staminate scales obovate, 3-4.5 × 1.4-1.6 mm, apex obtuse, sometimes mucronate. Anthers 2-3 mm. Perigynia 2.5-4 × 1.8-2.6 mm, apex rounded; beak 0.1-0.5 mm. Fruiting summer. Sphagnum bogs, wet meadows, shores; 0-2000 m; Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., Nfld. and Labr., N.W.T., N.S., Ont., P.E.I., Que., Sask., Yukon; Alaska, Calif., Conn., Del., Ind., Iowa, Maine, Mass., Mich., Minn., Mont., Nebr., Nev., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.Dak., Ohio, Oreg., Pa., Utah, Vt., Wash., Wis.; Eurasia.