The final branches form a surface layer of close palisade cortex of utricles. This subspecies can be distinguished by the mucron or tip of the utricles. The rounded tips of these closely packed utricles give the frond a velvety texture. Female glumes are while narrowly obovoid utricles are long and wide. Its utricles are either pale green or orange-brown. The perigynia (also called utricles) are green to brownish, long, contracted to a beak long. The utricles form in large clusters and are long and coated in many hairs. The fruits of "C. riparia" are utricles, long, with an inflated ovoid shape.