Culms 15-75 cm, sparsely pilose. Leaves: ligules longer than wide; blades 1.5-3 mm wide, pilose. Inflorescences: lateral spikes 5-15(-19) × 2-4 mm, proximal distant; terminal spike gynecandrous, at least 1/2 flowers pistillate, (5-)11-20 mm. Pistillate scales ovate, 1.3-2.4 × 0.6-1.4 mm, apex acute to acuminate, with awn to 0.5 mm, as long as perigynia. Staminate scales ovate, 2.4-4.1 mm, apex obtuse to acuminate. Anthers 0.7-1.3(-1.6) mm. Perigynia ascending, obscurely 5-13-veined, obovate-circular, trigonous in cross section, 1.7-2.4 × 1-1.5 mm, densely pilose; beak absent. Achenes 1.4-1.8 × 0.8-1.1 mm. 2n = 54. Fruiting late spring-early summer. Dry to wet-mesic forests, scrub; 0-1000 m; N.B., N.S., Ont., Que.; Ark., Conn., Del., D.C., Ga., Ill., Ind., Ky., Maine, Mass., Md., Mich., Mo., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Pa., R.I., Tenn., Vt., Va., W.Va., Wis.