E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

General:
Perennial, densely tufted herb from fibrous roots, sometimes from short, freely rooting rhizomes that connect the tufts; stems quite circular in cross-section, tapered, smooth, 10-40 cm tall.

Leaves:
More or less reduced, scalelike, light brown at the base of the stem with a single, more normally-developed leaf a little above the base, this leaf with typical sheath, but somewhat abnormal blade; sheaths straw-coloured to brownish, not cross-wrinkled; blades slender, short, 4-6 mm long.

Flowers:
Spikes solitary, terminal, medium to light brown, 4-6 mm long, 2- to 4-flowered; involucral bracts lacking.

Fruits:
Scales 2 or 3, yellowish-brown, egg-shaped, pointed to minutely abruptly sharp-pointed, empty at the base of the spikes (these often deciduous as the spikes approach maturity), the lowermost of these scales about as long as the spikes, with prominent, broad, blunt-tipped awns, 1-3 mm long and sometimes shortly surpassing the spikes; perianth bristles 6, white, or brownish near the tips, very fragile, hairlike, usually surpassing the achenes, but scarcely if at all, surpassing the scales; achenes brown, 3-angled, narrowly egg-shaped, about 1.5 mm long, abruptly sharp-pointed.