Rhizomatous. Stems erect, 2–15 cm, tufted. Leaves mainly basal; blades 1–3 mm wide, curled at the tip. Inflorescence a solitary bractless spike. Spike narrow, 1–2 cm long; male flowered portion usually 5–10 mm long; female flowers below, few. Perigynia narrowly ellipsoid, 2–3.5 mm long, green below, brown above, with a beak up to 0.5 mm long; stigmas 3. Female scales brown with hyaline margins, mostly concealing the perigynia. Achene 3-sided, nearly filling the perigynium (
Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).
Gravelly soil of grasslands, fellfields, turf, often on exposed slopes, ridges; valleys to alpine, more common higher (
Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).