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.

Light reddish tufts to 35 cm high. Leaves plano-convex, tips curled. Female spikes c. 5, ± sessile, light reddish-brown, ± 1 cm × 4 mm, Stigmas 3.

Light reddish tufts. Mature culms 10–20 cm. × c. 0.5–1 mm., smooth, terete; basal sheaths grey-brown or light brown. Lvs > culms, up to 35 cm. long, plano- or concavo-convex, reddish, margins scabrid with rather distant teeth, tip cirrhose. Infl. of 4–6, ± sessile, ± approximate spikes; terminal spike male, remainder female, us. with male fls at the base, 0.5–1–(1.5) cm. × 3–5 mm., ovate or cylindrical. Glumes = or < utricles, broadly ovate or oblong, pale brown with light red markings, emarginate, the green midrib produced to a short scabrid awn. Utricles ovoid to rhomboid, trigonous or irregularly inflated, yellowish, often red near the tip, striate or faintly ribbed, shining; beak scarcely evident, 0.3 mm. long at most, black or dark red-brown, margins smooth, orifice entire or minutely bidentate, scabrid; stipe c. 0.3 mm. long. Stigmas 3. Nut c. 1 × 1 mm., elliptic-obovoid, trigonous, cream to dark brown.