Plants perennial, 4--35 cm tall. Rhizome short. Stems tufted. Basal and cauline leaves several; leaf sheath auricles obtuse; leaf blade 2--9 cm, ± septate, apex acute. Inflorescences 2--11 cm; heads 3--26, 3--4 mm in diam., 2--4(--6)-flowered. Bracteoles ca. 1.2 × 1 mm. Perianth segments green to straw-colored with age, lanceolate, ca. 2.5 × 1 mm, equal or inner ones somewhat longer than outer, margin scarious, apex acuminate. Stamens 6; filaments ca. 1 mm; anthers 0.5--0.6 mm. Capsule trigonous ellipsoid, ca. 3.1 mm, apex mucronate. Seeds obovoid, ca. 0.5 mm, reticulate. Fl. Jul--Aug, fr. Aug--Sep.

Swampy meadows, along rivers, sandy slopes, trail sides on slopes; 100--1300 m. Jilin, Liaoning, Shandong [Japan, Korea].