Herbs, perennial, cespitose, green to olive when dry, to 3 dm, not glaucous; rhizomes scarcely discernable. Stems simple, 1-2 mm wide, glabrous, margins entire, similar in color and texture to stem body. Leaf blades glabrous, bases not persistent in fibrous tufts. Inflorescences borne singly; spathes green, glabrous, keels entire; outer 28-38 mm, 7-26 mm longer than inner, basally connate 2.6-4.3 mm, often very slightly constricted proximal to apex; inner with keels evenly curved, hyaline margins 0.1-0.5 mm wide, apex usually acute, ending 0-1.5 mm proximal to green apex. Flowers: tepals pale blue, bases yellow; outer tepals 7.6-10 mm, apex slightly emarginate or rounded, aristate; filaments connate ± entirely, stipitate-glandular basally; ovary similar in color to foliage. Capsules beige to dark brown, globose, 3-5 mm; pedicel ascending. Seeds globose to obconic, lacking obvious depression, 0.8-1.2 mm, granular or somewhat rugulose. 2n = 64.

Flowering mid summer. Poorly drained, montane meadows; of conservation concern; 2600--3000 m; Colo., Wyo.