Japan Flora: Culms many, tufted, slender, 7-40 cm. long; leaves shorter than the culm, glabrous, 2-2.5 mm. wide, short-ciliate around the mouth of leaf-sheaths; inflorescence erect, loosely umbelliform, simple or branched, 5-10 cm. long, with numerous spikelets, the bracts 2 or 3, somewhat leaflike; spikelets ovoid to oblong, 3-5 mm. long, 2-2.5 mm. across, obtuse, light brown; scales thin-membranous, broadly lanceo­late, 1.5-2 mm. long, abruptly cuspidate; achenes narrow­oblong, obscurely 3-angled or inflated-biconvex, 0.7 mm. long, with transversely oblong reticulations; style and stigmas 1.5-2 mm. long, persistent, the stigmas spreading, rather con­spicuous; stamens 1 or 2, the anthers 0.3 mm. long. Aug.-Oct. Kyushu; rare. Korea, Manchuria, and China.

var. tonensis (Makino) Ohwi Scales 2-2.5 mm. long; style and stigmas 2.5-3 mm. long, the stigmas persistent; achenes 0.8-1 mm.  long.    Honshu (Kazusa, Shimosa, Yamato and Settsu); rare.