This perennial sedge produces clumps of very narrow, triangular stems lined with thin leaves.

It is known from streams rich in bog iron deposits, where a slow current causes gradual erosion and the soil chemistry is not hospitable to many other species.

Other plants in the area include poverty grass (Aristida longispica), warty panic-grass (Panicum verrucosum), and spatulate-leaved sundew (Drosera intermedia).

The seeds probably cannot germinate if there is a large buildup of organic matter on the soil surface, such as leaf litter.

These habitat types may include gravel, clay, and sand mines, pits, and ditches, railroads, clearings, and unpaved roads.

In artificially cleared habitat it faces threats from human activity, such as mining, off-road vehicle use, road maintenance, and development.