Culms round to sharply trigonous, 8–35 cm. Leaf blades 7–25 cm, 0.3–0.7 mm wide near base. Spike (10–)12–26(–30) × 3–7 mm, staminate portion 4–14 mm. Longest pistillate scales 2.9–4.5(–6.5) × 1.9–4 mm excluding awns, usually equaling or longer than perigynia. Perigynia obovate, (2.8–)3–4.8 × 1.4–2 mm; beak 0.2–0.8 mm. Achenes 2.2–3(–3.3) × 1.3–1.9 mm.

Fruiting Apr–Jun. Dry to dryish areas, stable silt-loam or gravel, on slopes, headlands, eroded areas, swales; 100–3100 m; Alta., B.C., Man., N.W.T., Sask., Yukon; Alaska, Ariz., Calif., Colo., Idaho, Kans., Minn., Mont., Nebr., Nev., N.Mex., N.Dak., Oreg., S.Dak., Utah, Wash., Wyo.