Japan Flora: Rhizomes short; culms tufted, 20-50 cm. long, sharply angled, scabrous above; leaf-blades 1-2 nun. wide; head loose, the bracts scalelike to setaceous; spikes 3 or 4, gynecandrous, globose, 4-6 (terminal spike sometimes to 10) mm. long; pistillate scales ovate, brownish; perigynia about 3 mm. long, about twice as long as the scales, spreading to divaricate, deltoid-ovate, planoconvex, brownish when ma­ture, scabrous on the acute margins near tip, chickened and spongy at base, gradually long-beaked; stigmas 2. June-July. Wet places.

Hokkaido. Kuriles and Korea, e. Siberia to Europe.