Herbs, perennial, 2--6 dm. Rhizomes long creeping. Culms erect, slightly compressed, never rooting at nodes. Leaves: basal several, cauline 1--3; auricles absent, or essentially so; blade flat, 0.5--3 dm x 1.5--4 mm. Inflorescences glomerules 1--5, each with (8--)10--30 flowers, congested to open, 2--6 cm; primary bract shorter than inflorescence. Flowers: tepals dark brown with green midstripe, lanceolate, 4--6 mm, margins scarious, occasionally papillose; inner series slightly shorter; stamens 6, filaments 1--1.3 mm, anthers 1--1.5 mm; style 0.6 mm. Capsules tan or darker, 3-locular, obovoid, 3--5 mm, shorter than perianth. Seeds ovoid, body 0.6--0.8 mm, tails 0.2--0.4 mm.

Flowering and fruiting summer. Moist to wet meadows in montane or subalpine areas; 540--3000 m; Alta., B.C.; Calif., Idaho, Mont., Nev., Oreg., Utah, Wash., Wyo.