Plants without conspicuous rhizomes. Culms 30-120 cm, 2.5-4 mm wide basally, 0.7-1 mm wide distally. Leaves: proximal sheaths loose, longitudinally green-and-white-striped and green-and-white-mottled on back, with prominent transverse veins, fronts hyaline, transversely rugose; ligules 3-7 mm, slightly longer than wide; widest leaf blades (4-)5-8 mm wide. Inflorescences with 5-10 spikes, 1.5-4 cm × 8-10 mm; proximal internodes usually not more than 10 mm, 0.7-1.5(-2) times as long as proximal spikes; proximal bracts to 2 cm; spikes with 6-20 ascending to spreading perigynia. Pistillate scales hyaline or pale brown with green midvein, ovate-circular, 1.5-2 × 1.1-1.5 mm, 1/2 length of perigynia, apex subobtuse to acute. Anthers 0.7-1.3 mm. Perigynia green, with narrow wing not more than 0.1 mm wide distally, weakly 4-7-veined abaxially, 3-4.5 × 1.5-2.5 mm, margins serrulate distally; beak 1-1.3 mm, apical teeth 0.2-0.5 mm. Achenes suborbiculate, 1.6-2 × 1.3-1.7 mm. 2n = 50. Fruiting late spring-early summer. Dry to mesic deciduous and mixed forests and forest margins on neutral or basic soils; 20-300 m; N.B., Ont., Que.; Conn., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Maine, Mass., Mich., Minn., N.H., N.J., N.Y., Ohio, Pa., Vt., Wis.