Elyna humilis C. A. Meyer ex Trautvetter, Trudy Imp. S.-Peterburgsk. Bot. Sada 1: 21. 1871; Kobresia royleana (Nees) Boeckeler var. humilis (C. A. Meyer ex Trautvetter) Kükenthal.

Rhizomes short. Basal sheaths prominent, pale brown to brown, dull, retaining dried leaf blades. Culms densely tufted, erect, obtusely trigonous, 2-15 cm tall, 0.8-1.5 mm in diam. Leaves basal, shorter than culms, sometimes recurved; blade flat, midrib distinct abaxially, folded at base, 1-2.2 mm wide. Inflorescence spicate, brown, densely cylindric, 0.8-1.7 × 0.4-0.6 cm, with up to 10 spikelets; lowest involucral bract glumelike, aristate. Terminal spikelets of inflorescence male, lower ones bisexual with 1 basal female flower and 2-7 distal male flowers. Glumes brown, with a yellowish green or green midvein, oblong, ovate-elliptic, or ovate, 3-5 × 1.5-2.5 mm, margin broadly hyaline, apex obtuse or rounded, sometimes aristate. Prophylls pale brown, oblong or elliptic, 3-5 × 1.5-2 mm, membranous, glabrous, 2-keeled, keels scabrid, margins open to base. Nutlets brown or grayish brown, narrowly obovoid or elliptic, trigonous, 2.5-3 × 1-1.5 mm, very shortly stipitate, shortly beaked. Stigmas usually 3. Fl. and fr. Jun-Sep.

This species sometimes has two stigmas, and may then resemble Kobresia pusilla.

Sunny slopes, alpine meadows; 2500-4400 m. ?Ningxia, ?Qinghai, Xinjiang, Xizang [Afghanistan, India (Sikkim), Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan; SW Asia].