Tufted perennial, 5-27 cm. Stem 0.7-1.3 mm diam., obtusely triangular or terete, grooved, smooth. Leaves from slightly shorter to finally much longer than stem, erect, rather rigid, mostly less wide than stem; sheaths 20-50 mm, outermost bladeless, glossy, grey brown, mouth margin almost straight, disintegrating into fibres with age; ligule c. 0.3 mm, arch wider than high; blades 0.7-1 mm wide, thick, channelled or involute, margins scabrous. Inflorescence 10-20 x 4-8 mm, a globose to cylindrical spike, basal part sometimes lax, distal flowers sometimes male; glumes 4.3-4.5 x 2.5-2.8 mm, lowest occasionally to equalling spike, wide, cymbiform, obtuse, brown with yellowish midnerve, margins scarious. Utricles 4.2-5.2 x 1.7-2.1 mm, fusiform or ellipsoid, obscurely trigonous, loosely surrounding fruit, light to dark brown, slightly glossy, basal parts contracted, nerves on adaxial side, abaxial side nerve-less; beak 0-1.2 mm, not clearly differentiated, occasionally slightly scabrous, brown, ostiole oblique with scarious margins; rachilla c. 0.5 mm, flat, green, with 1-2 male flowers, stamens 3, male glume c. 4.2 mm, clasping. Nut 3.2-3.4 x 1.5-1.7 mm, incl. up to 0.3 mm style base, obovoid, obtusely trigonous, grey brown with yellowish nerves, reticulate, papillae small or absent in areolae.

Fl. Per.: July - September.

Syntypes: Kashmir, Burzil Pass, 12 000’, 28 July 1876, C.B. Clarke 29697 (K!); Burji La, 14500’, 1 Aug. 1876, C.B. Clarke 29840 (K!).

Humid alpine meadows, 3800-4400 m; Distribution.: From Pakistan to Nepal.