Herbs, perennial, 2--6 dm. Rhizomes long creeping. Culms slightly compressed. Leaves: basal 2--5, cauline 1--3; auricles 1--2.5 mm, apex truncate to obtuse; blade flat, 1--3 dm x 1.5--3 mm, the cauline shorter. Inflorescences glomerules 1--4(--8), each with 3--12 flowers, open or aggregate, 2--6(--10) cm; primary bract shorter than inflorescence. Flowers: tepals brown with green midstripe, lanceolate, 5--6 mm, margins scarious, sometimes papillose; outer series slightly shorter; stamens 6, filaments 0.5--1 mm, anthers 1.2--2 mm; style 0.6 mm. Capsules tan, 3-locular, obovoid, 3--5 mm, shorter than perianth. Seeds ovoid, 0.4--0.6 mm, not tailed. 2n = 40. Flowering and fruiting summer. Moist ground in mountain meadows; 1000--3300 m; Alta., B.C., Man., Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.), Ont., Que., Sask.; Ariz., Calif., Colo., Idaho, Mich., Minn., Mont., Nebr., Nev., N.Dak., N.Mex., S.Dak., Oreg., Utah, Wash., Wyo.