Japan Flora: Rhi­zomes tufted; culms erect, sometimes briefly ascending at base, somewhat firm, 20-50 cm. long, nearly glabrous, 1- to 3-leaved on the lower half; leaf-blades flat, stifi, 3-5 mm. wide, shorter than tlie culm, the basal sheaths pale, sparsely grayish brown fibrous; spikes 3-5, the terminal staminate, linear, pale tawny, 1-1.5 cm. long, somewhat inconspicuous, the others pistillate, ovoid-globose, several-flowered, the upper approximate and subsessile, the lower widely cHstant, long-peduncled, erect, 1-1.5 cm. long, the bracts leaflike, long-sheathing; pistillate scales ovate, obtuse, entire, pale tawny; perigynia 2 or more times as long as the scales, 10-13 mm. long, spreading, nar­rowly lanceolate, rather coriaceous, yellowish green, glabrous, slightly lustrous, many-nerved, gradually long-beaked and shallowly 2-toothed; stigmas 3, short.  June-July. High moors.

Hokkaido, Honshu (n. and centr. distr.). Kuriles, Kamchatka. The typical phase occurs in N. America.