Caespitose perennial, 30-130 cm. Stem sharply trigonous, edges scabrous, sides concave, papillose. Leaves shorter than stem; sheaths 20-70 mm, reddish brown, glossy, strongly nerved, finally fibrous, margin of brown-dotted scarious side concave; ligule up to 1.3 mm, brownish with reddish spots, arch much higher than wide; blades 2.5-4 mm, flat, margins revolute, abaxial side and margin of adaxial side papillose, scabrous towards apex. Inflorescence of 2-5 spikes, overlapping or lowest occasionally remote. Bracts equalling or overtopping inflorescence, sheath-less. Spikes 7-20 x 4-7 mm, terminal clubshaped, male or gynecandrous, others female, ellipsoid or globose, erect, with peduncle to 12 mm; female glumes 2.3-3.3 x 0.9-1.9 mm, ovate, cymbiform, acute or with arista to 0.5 mm, reddish brown, margins narrowly scarious; utricles 4-5.2 x 1.3-1.5 mm, occasionally with stipe to 0.2 mm, ellipsoid, slightly inflated, clearly nerved, papillose or scabrous, green or yellow, beak 1-2 mm, cylindrical, often somewhat bent, bidentate, ostiole margins reddish brown. Stigmas 3. Nut 1.9-2.2 x 1-1.3 mm, including up to 0.3 mm style base, ellipsoid or obovoid, trigonous, yellowish brown to brown, reticulate with a papilla in each areole.

Fl. Per.: May-August.

Type: Nepal, Kedarkanta, Royle 113 (K!).

Marshy ground on shady mountain slopes; Distribution: From E Afghanistan to Kashmir, where common according to Stewart (1972), and along Himalayas eastwards to Sikkim, also in China, Szechwan.