General:
Perennial herb from short, freely rooting rhizomes; stems more or less densely clustered, in rows, sharply triangular in cross-section, rough on the angles, (5) 10-40 cm tall.

Leaves:
More or less reduced, scalelike at the base of the stems, with 1 or sometimes 2, more normally-developed leaves above the base; sheaths straw-coloured to brownish, not cross-wrinkled; blades narrow, 5-12 mm long, rough on the margins, the hairs directed forward or upward, the tips firm, blunt, somewhat expanded and cartilaginous.

Flowers:
Spikes solitary, terminal, medium or light brown, 5-7 mm long, many-flowered; involucral bracts lacking.

Fruits:
Scales 2 or 3, chestnut, lanceolate to egg-shaped, blunt, the lowermost egg-shaped, up to as long as the spikes, with prominent, thickened midribs which are exserted as broad, blunt awns or small, short, abrupt points, 0.5-2 mm long; perianth bristles 6, white, flattened, smooth, crisped, elongate, much surpassing the scales, at maturity forming silky white tufts extending 1-2.5 cm beyond the end of the spikes; achenes purplish-brown, 3-angled, narrowly egg-shaped, about 1.5 mm long, minutely abruptly sharp-pointed.

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.