Culms 12-35 cm. Proximal leaf blades green, 25-40 cm × 2-4.5 mm, smooth abaxially, scabrid adaxially. Inflorescences with staminate and pistillate flowers on different plants; spike 1, unisexual; pistillate spikes 30-80 × 2.5-6 mm; staminate spikes 20-50 × 4-6 mm. Pistillate scales obovate-oblong, 5.5-6.5 × 2.3-2.8 mm, proximal ones cuspidate, distal ones acuminate, awned. Staminate scales obovate-oblong, 6-7 × 1.2-3 mm, apex acuminate to cuspidate. Perigynia yellow-green, 3.5-5.5 × 1.3-1.7 mm, apex acute, sparsely pubescent towards black apex, beakless. Fruiting spring. Forests and forest openings; 100-500 m; Ala., Ind., Ky., La., Miss., Tenn.