Leaves with distal lamina smooth; awn smooth or sharply serrulate; lamellae 2(--8) cells in height, not lobed, sometimes bearing filaments. Capsules cleistocarpous, immersed to emergent, short-ovoid; eperistomate. Calyptra cucullate or rarely mitrate.

Capsules mature spring. Grassy areas, around alkaline depressions, steppe; moderate elevations; B.C., Sask.; c Europe.

This locally abundant (T. T. McIntosh 1989) western species commonly grows in mixture with other species of the genus; the brown, spheric cleistocarpous capsules with no annulus are unique.