Japan Flora: Delicate herb; culms tufted, nearly capillary, 5-15 cm. long, green, sul­cate, the sheaths 5-15 mm. long, membranous, obliquely trun­cate at apex; spikelets ovoid to narrowly so, 3-5 mm. long, 2-2.5 mm. thick, reddish purple; scales membranous, elliptic, obtuse, 1.5 mm. long; achenes deltoid-obovate, about 0.5 mm. long, biconvex, black, lustrous, smooth, cuneate at base, ab­ruptly contracted at apex, the style-base minute, depressed, 1/5-1/4 as wide as the body of the achene, the bristles 4-5, delicate, white, longer than the body of the achene, slightly scabrous. July-Oct. Rare.

Honshu (Omi Prov.), Kyushu. Formosa, India, Africa, Europe, and N. America.