A tufted plant with short creeping rhizomes. The leaves are narrow, flat and grass-like., and the lowest bract is usually longer than the inflorescence.  The outer tepals are blunt or rounded, not pointed. Compact, rather rounded heads of brown seeds.  

Either obtain confirmation from a County Recorder before submitting a record, or submit detailed images showing key features.  We recommend that you take and retain a specimen; the County Recorder may wish to see this for confirmation. (RPR)

Found in marshes, wet meadows and pastures, often near the sea and sometimes in brackish conditions.

Flowers June and July.

Perennial.

Widespread but local in England.

Local and scattered in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the Flora of Leicestershire (Primavesi & Evans, 1988) it was found in 15 of the 617 tetrads, and was present in 6 tetrads in the Flora of Rutland (Messenger, 1971).

In the VC55 Checklist (Jeeves 2011) it is listed as Native; axiophyte; now nearly scarce 

It is on the current VC55 Rare Plant Register (Hall and Woodward, 2022) as Near Scarce (included because it is threatened nationally)