Small stiff reddish-brown tufts usually to 10 cm high; rhizome short. Leaves much > stems, plano-convex, tip curled. Inflorescence 1-1.5 cm long, usually hidden among leaves. Spikes 3-4, yellow-brown. Stigmas 2.

Shortly rhizomatous; small, stiff, erect, reddish brown tufts with lvs curled at the tips. Culms 1–3–(15) cm. × c. 0.5–(1) mm., glab., terete; basal sheaths light brown or grey-brown. Lvs much > culms, 3–10–(30) cm. × 0.5–1 mm., red, rigid, plano-convex, occ. with margins inrolled, striated on the back, margins slightly scabrid, tip obtuse, twisted when dry. Infl. 1–1.5 cm. long, us. hidden amongst lvs. Spikes 3–4, shortly pedunculate to almost sessile, pale yellow-brown, terminal spike wholly male, subterminal spike female or with some male fls at the top, remaining spikes wholly female, 5–10 × 3 mm., clustered at same level round base of male spike; all subtended by lf-like bracts c. = lvs. Glumes ± = or < utricles, ovate, membr., nerved, pale pink, later brown, with green midribs, tips acute. Utricles 1.5–2 × c. 1 mm., plano-convex, obovoid, smooth or faintly nerved, gradually narrowed at either end, light brown below, often darker purple-brown towards the glab. beak, c. 0.3 mm. long, hardly bifid, orifice minutely scabrid; stipe c. 0.5 mm. long. Stigmas 2. Nut slightly > 1 mm. long, obovoid to suborbicular, pale grey-brown.