Plants densely cespitose. Culms reclining or drooping, 19-51 cm × 0.2-0.7 mm. Leaves: basal sheaths purple; nonbasal sheaths with traces of purple, 7-40 mm; blades erect, ascending, or decumbent, green, 17-45 cm × (2-)3-6(-7) mm. Inflorescences: spikes (3-)4(-5) per culm, scattered; peduncle of lateral pistillate spikes slender, drooping, 8-11 cm, distal peduncle shortest; bracts reduced, 0.6-1.5 cm. Pistillate spikes the proximal basal, 7-12 × 4-6 mm. Staminate spike 1, linear, long-pedunculate, 0.7-2 × 2-4 mm. Pistillate scales keeled, 2.5-3.7 × 1.5-2 mm, midribs green, margins hyaline, purple outward, apex aristate. Staminate scales obtuse, 3-5 × 0.8-1.1 mm, midribs green, margins hyaline and purple. Anthers 3-3.2 mm. Perigynia 2-6 per spike, overlapping, finely veined, orbicular, 2.8-3.2 × 1.8-2.1 mm; beak tapering. Achenes orbicular, 1.8-2 × 1.8-2 mm, sides slightly concave at maturity, tightly fitting in perigynia. Style slightly bent from achene. 2n = 60.

Fruiting spring. Rich, moist, deciduous or mixed deciduous-evergreen forests, often around steep seepage slopes or along small streams, mountain gorges; 100-800 m; Ala., Ga., Ky., N.C., S.C., Tenn.