New England sedge has an inflorescences with both male and 2-3 proximal, female spikes, cauline spikes are remote, non-overlapping, proximal 2 are usually separated by more than 7mm, with 3-10 perigynia, which are pale green, veinless, ellipsoid, and longer than wide. Beak is straight, pale green, with apical teeth, achenes are dark brown, and obovoid to ellipsoid. Blades are 1-2mm wide, green, equaling or exceeding the culms, herbaceous, smooth to papillose abaxially, weakly scabrous adaxially. The lowest inflorescence bracts are 18-35mm long, 3/4 as long as or exceeding inflorescence.
It can be distinguished from C albicans by its very delicate appearance, loose cespitose habit, widely spaced pistillate spikelets, and long bract on the lowest inflorescence.