Leaves red, longer than the culms, (12-) 16-30 cm long, 0.7-1.2 mm wide, plano- or concavo-convex, strict, cirrhose, margins scabrid, sheaths 2-3 mm wide. Culms 3-13 cm long, 0.6-0.8 mm wide below the lowest bract sheath, terete, smooth, lowest bract sheath 0.5-1.7 cm long. Inflorescence 2.5-8 ( -13) cm long, spikes approximate or the lowest remote and then the internode 2-8 cm long. Spikes 4-5, terminal male, 0.5-1 cm long, sessile, remainder female, 0.5-1 (-1.3) cm long, 0.3 cm broad, ovate or cylindric, sessile or the lowest on a peduncle 0.3-0.5 ( -1.5) cm long. Glumes equalling or shorter than the utricles, broadly ovate to oblong, emarginate, pale brown with a lighter midrib produced into a mucro or awn 0.5(-1) mm long. Utricles 2-2.2(-2.6) mm long, 1.2-1.3 mm broad, ovoid to rhomboid, trigonous or unequally inflated, striate or faintly ribbed, shining, pale usually with a black beak, margins smooth, beak 0.2-0.3 mm long, broad, crura minute or absent, stigmata 3.

Folia rubra, culmos excedentia, (12-) 16-30 cm longa, 0.7-1.2 mm lata, plano vel concavo-convexa, stricta, cirrhosa, culmi 3-13 cm longi, inflorescentia 2.5-8 ( -13) cm longa, spicae 4-5, spica terminalis mascula, ceterae femineae, approximatae vel infima remota, 0.5-1.3 cm longae, 0.3 cm latae, ovatae vel cylindricae, sessiles vel ima breviter pedunculata, glumae utriculos aequantes vel breviores, late ovatae vel oblongae, emarginatae, pallide brunneae, costa in mucronem ad 0.5 mm longum producta, utriculi 2-2.2 mm longi, 1.2-1.3 mm lati, ovoidei vel rhombiformes, trigoni vel irregulariter inflati, striati vel languide costati, nitentes, pallidi plerumque rostro nigro, 0.2-0.3 mm longo, marginibus laevibus, crura minuta vel 0, stigmata 3.

Caespitose. Leaves red, usually exceeding the inflorescence, 12-25 cm long, (1-) 1.5-2.2 mm wide, planoconvex, scabrid on the margins, cirrhose at the tips, sheaths 2-5 em long, 3 mm wide, moderately membranous. Culms 4-12 cm long, 0.8-1.2 mm wide, smooth, cylindric. Inflorescence 3-5(-10) cm long, lowest bract sheath 5-10 mm long, lowest internode usually c. 1 cm long but may elongate to 6 cm long. Spikes 4(-6), terminal male 1-1.5 cm long, remainder female (0.7-)1(-1.5) cm long, 4 mm wide, crowded at the tip of the culm or the lowest spike remote, sessile or peduncles exserted up to 0.5 cm. Glumes pale, broadly ovate, usually emarginate, midrib extended into an awn 1-2 mm long, or occasionally very short. Utricles (2.2-) 2.7-3 mm long, 1.2 mm wide, pale or dark brown distally, striate, trigonous or inflated, ovate, barely narrowed above, crura obsolete, stigmata 3.

Planta caespitosa, folia rubra, plerumque inflorescentiam excedentia, 12-25 cm longa, 1-2.2 mm lata, planoconvexa, cirrhosa ad apices, vaginae sat membranaceae, culmi 4-12 cm longi, laeves cylindrici, inflorescentia 3-5 (-10) cm longa, spicae approximatae vel infima remota, 4 (-5 ), spica terminalismascula, ceterae femineae 0.7-1.5 cm longae, 0.4 cm latae, sessiles vel infima cum brevi pedunculo, glumae pallidae, late ovatae, plerumque emarginatae, costa in aristam 1-2 mm longam producta, utriculi (2.2-) 2.7-3 mm longi, 1.2 mm lati, pallidi vel ad apicem fusco- brunnei, striati, trigoni vel inflati, ovoidei, ad apicem parum angustati, rostrum obscurum, crura obsoleta, stigmata 3.

Leaves red, 3-6 ( -14) cm long, 1-2 mm wide below, tapering evenly to the tips, planoconvex or flat, margins scabrid, sheaths 0.2-0.3 mm wide. Culms usually not exserted but occasionally up to 10 cm long and then 0.5-1 mm thick, terete or trigonous, smooth. Inflorescence 1-2.5 cm long and congested or with the lowest fertile bract remote and the first internode 2-6 cm long. Spikes 3-5, terminal male 0.5-1 cm long, sessile, remainder female 0.4-1 cm long, 0.3-0.4 cm wide, ovate or cylindric, sessile or very shortly pedunculate, dense-flowered, black. Glumes shorter than the utricles, broadly ovate, obtuse to subacute, straw-coloured, or brown with a green midrib barely produced beyond the tip to form a mucro 0.1 (-0.5) mm long. Utricles 0.8-2.5 mm long, 1-1.3 mm broad, obovoid or rhomboidal, equally inflated or trigonous, nerved, black above, pale below, shining, often with a distinct stipe up to 0.5 mm long, usually rather abruptly contracted into a short broad beak, margins smooth, crura obsolete or absent.

Folia rubra, 3-6(-14) cm longa, basin versa 1-2 mm lata, apicem versa gradatim angustata, planoconvexa vel plana, marginibus scabris, vaginis 0.2-0.3 mm latis. Culmi plerumque non exserti interdum autem ad 10 cm longi et 0.5-1 mm lati, teretes vel trigoni, Iaeves. Inflorescentia 1-2.5 cm longa congesta vellaxior infima fertili bractea aliquid remota et internodio primo 2-6 cm longo. Spicae 3-5, spica terminalis mascula 0.5- 1 cm longa, sessilis, spicae ceterae femineae 0.4-1 cm longae, 0.3-0.4 cm latae, oyatae vel cylindricae, sessiles vel breve pedunculatae, densiflorae, nigrae. Glumae utriculis breviores, late ovatae, obtusae vel subacutae, stramineae, vel brunneae nervo medio viridi vix ultra apicem producto in mucronem 0.1 (-0.5) mm langum. Utriculi 0.8-2.5 mm longi, 1-1.3 mm lati, obovoidei vel rhombiformes, aequaliter inflati vel trigoni, nervati, supra nigri, pallidi infra, nitentes, saepe stipite distincto ad 0.5 mm longo, plerumque abruptius contracti in rostrum breve, latum, marginibus glabris, cruribus obsoletis vel nullis. Stigmata 3.

Densely caespitose. Leaves usually longer than the culms, c. 1 mm wide, scabrid on the margins above, planoconvex, cirrhose, basal sheaths 3-5 cm long, 1.5-2 mm wide. Culms up to 20 cm long, 0.4-0.5 mm wide below the lowest bract sheath, smooth, terete. Inflorescence 7-15 (-20) cm long, lowest internode 5-15 cm long, lowest bract sheath 1-2 cm long. Spikes 4-5, upper 1 male, slender, 1.5-2 cm long, subsessile or on a slender peduncle up to 1 cm long, remainder female, 1-2 cm long, 0.4-0.5 cm wide, erect, lowest on a peduncle up to 1 cm long, remainder more shortly pedunculate or sessile. Female glumes shorter than or equalling the utricles, 2.3-3 mm long, ovate acuminate, tawny, the 3-nerved midribs produced into awns 3-6 mm long. Utricles 3-4 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, ovoid, turgid, smooth or striate, beak absent, crura 0.3-0.5 mm long, margins scarcely or not scabrid. Stigmata 3.

Dense caespitosa. Folia plerumque culmis longiora, c. 1 mm lata, scabris marginibus apicem versa, planoconvexa, cirrhosa, vaginis basalibus 3-5 cm longis, 1.5-2 mm latis. Culmi ad 20 cm longi, 0.4-0.5 mm lati infra bracteae infimae vaginam, laeves, teretes. Inflorescentia 7-15 (-20) cm longa, internodio infimo 5-15 cm longo, vagina bracteae infimae 1-2 cm longa. Spicae 4-5, summa 1 mascula, gracilis, 1.5-2.5 cm longa, subsessilis vel in pedunculo gracili ad 1 cm longo insidens, spicae ceterae femineae, 1-2 cm longae, 0.4-0.5 cm latae, erectae, spica infima in pedunculo ad 1 cm longo insidens, spicae ceterae pedunculis brevioribus vel sessiles. Glumae femineae utriculis breviores vel aequantes, 2.3-3 mm longae, ovatae, acuminatae, fulvae, costis trinervibus in aristas 3-6 mm longas productis. Utriculi 3-4 mm longi, 1.5 mm lati, ovoidei turgidi, laeves vel striati, rostro nullo, cruribus 0.3-0.5 mm longis, marginibus vix scabris vel glabris. Stigmata 3.

Leaves reddish or green, (25-) 30-45 (-60) cm long, 1.5-2.2 mm broad, conduplicate or subplicate, scabrid on the margins and upper surfaces, basal sheaths short, 2-6 ( -10) cm long. Culms equalling or longer than the leaves (10-) 30-50 cm long, 0.5-1 mm wide, trigonous, scabrid on the angles above or subterete and smooth. Inflorescence 8-20 cm long, lowest internode 2-16 cm long, lowest bract sheath 1-2 cm long. Spikes 4-5 ( -6), terminal male, 1-2 cm long, slender, on a peduncle up to 1 cm long or subsessile, remainder female, lowest 1-1.5 cm long, upper shorter, 0.4 cm wide, cylindric, sessile or the lowest on peduncles up to 1 cm long. Glumes equalling the utricles, oblong, obtuse to subacute to shortly acuminate, pale to red brown with a broad hyaline margin, and a pale midrib not reaching the margin or else produced into a short mucro up to 0.2 mm long. Utricles 2-2.2 (-2.5) mm long, 1.3-1.8 mm wide, ovoid ellipsoid to broadly ellipsoid to suborbicular, planoconvex or unequally biconvex, pale below, dark brown above, smooth and shining, margins scabrid on upper half, beak absent, crura up to 0.2 mm long, readily abraded.

Folia rubescentia vel viridia, (25-) 30-45 (-60) cm longa, 1.5-2.2 mm lata, canaliculata, conduplicata vel subplicata, culmi folia aequantes vel excedentes, inflorescentia 8-20 cm longa, spicae 4-5 ( -6), spica terminalis mascula, ceterae femineae, infima 1-1.5 cm longa, superiores breviores, 0.4 cm latae, sessiles vel ima cum pedunculo ad 1 cm longo. Glumae utriculos aequantes, oblongae, obtusae vel breviter acuminatae, costa nanad marginemattingens vel in brevemmucronem ad 0.2 mm longum producta. Utriculi 2-2.2 mm longi, 1.3-1.8 mm latiovoideo-ellipsoidei, late ellipsoidei. vel suborbiculares, pallidi infra, supra fusco-brunnei, laeves nitentesque, scabridi ad apicem in marginibus, rostrum 0, crura ad 0.2 mm longa, caduca. Stigmata 2. .