Densely tufted, bright green or yellow-green, slender and flaccid. Stems usually to 16 cm but occasionally to 30 cm high, filiform. Leaves much < stems, filiform; lower sheaths colourless, upper reddish. Inflorescence apparently lateral, of 1-3 spikelets; bract much > spikelets to 8 mm long, filiform. Spikelets 1.5-2.5 mm long, elliptical or ovoid, green and brown. Glumes 0.5-1 mm long, ± acute, pale brown or reddish-brown with distinct nerves, keel green, hardly excurrent, margins constricted beside keel. Hypogynous bristles 0. Stamens 1-2. Stigmas 3. Nut usually slightly > 1.5 mm long, triquetrous with thickened angles, distinctly apiculate, dull grey to black.

Densely tufted, annual, bright green or yellow-green, slender and flaccid. Culms filiform, (2)–6–16–(30) cm. × 0.2 mm. Lvs much < culms, reduced to a lower, open, membr., colourless sheath and an upper sheath, reddish at the base, with a truncate orifice, and tipped by a short mucro occ. extended to a definite, though filiform, green lamina. Infl. apparently lateral, of 1–3 spikelets; subtending bract to 8 mm. long, much > spikelets, filiform. Spikelets 1.5–2.5 × 1–1.5 mm., elliptical or ovoid, green and brown. Glumes 0.5–1 mm. long, ovate-lanceolate, ± acute, pale brown or reddish brown with distinct nerves, keel green, hardly excurrent, margins entire, pinched in at tip beside keel. Hypog. bristles 0. Stamens 1–2. Style-branches 3. Nut us. slightly > 0.5 mm. long, < 0.5 mm. diam., elliptical, acutely trigonous with thickened angles, distinctly apiculate, shortly stipitate, dull grey to black, surface finely reticulate.