Very tall and robust; stems 100-200 cm × 3-8 mm, light green, smooth, ± shining, rather soft, pith continuous; basal bracts loosely sheathing, light brown below; inflorescence many-flowered, often contracted to a dense head, or sometimes effuse with long branchlets; flowers pale green, later light brown; tepals 2.3—3.0 mm long; stamens 6; capsules 2.8—3.5 mm long, usually distinctly exceeding the tepals, very pale greenish brown, with rounded top.

Very tall and robust; rhizome short. Stems 1-2 m × 3-8 mm, light green, pith continuous. Inflorescence large, effuse or compact, with numerous light coloured flowers. Stamens 6. Capsule 3-3.5 mm long, distinctly > tepals.

Very tall and robust. Rhizome 5–10 mm. diam., horizontal. Flowering stems 1–2 m. × 3–8 mm., us. erect, occ. drooping, smooth, slightly shining, light green, soft, pith continuous; lvs 0; basal sheathing bracts ∞, lower ones shorter, the upper ones larger, loosely sheathing, very obtuse with a long, hair-like mucro, light green, light brown or pinkish brown. Infl. apparently lateral, many-fld, often contracted into a dense head wider than 1.5 cm., or effuse with long, stout, rigid branchlets. Fls 2.3–3 mm. long, clustered at branchlet tips, or evenly spaced along branchlets, on stout pedicels or almost sessile; tepals pale green, occ. tinged with pink, later becoming light brown, the outer rigid, the inner soft and membr., almost colourless. Stamens 6. Capsule 2.8–3.5 mm. long, us. distinctly > tepals, ovoid-trigonous, obtuse at the tip, very pale greenish brown.