2n = 88

Whole plant dark red, rarely reddish green, laxly caespitose or shortly rhizomatous. Culms 15–35 cm. × < 1 mm., rigid, minutely scabrid on the angles under the infl. Lvs 2–3–(5) per culm, much < to slightly > culm, (0.7)–1–2–(2.5) mm. wide, rather rigid, margins slightly scabrid, tapering rather abruptly towards the tip. Spikes 2.5–6–(7) cm. × 3–5 mm., us. ebracteate, female fls c. 10, sts aborted, internodes to 10 mm. long at base of spike, 3–6 mm. long above. Glumes = or < utricles, persistent, obtuse or lowermost subacute, coriac., red with a pale margin. Utricles 5–6–(6.5) mm. long, plano-convex, concavo-convex or subtrigonous, fusiform, striated, yellowish green, later yellow-brown, narrowed above to a beak 1–1.5 mm. long, and scarcely narrowed below to a paler stipe 1–1.5 mm. long.