2n = c. 70

Small stiffly erect yellow-green tussocks to 30 cm high; rhizome stout, short. Leaves plano-convex. Inflorescence 1.5-3 cm long, of 5-10 ± contiguous, pale straw-coloured, sessile spikes. Almost dioecious. Stigmas 2.

Rhizomatous; clumps pale yellow-green, stiffly erect. Rhizome 2–3 mm. diam., woody, closely covered with brown sheathing scales. Culms (6)–10–30–(45) cm. × 0.5–1 mm., > lvs, terete or flattened or plano-convex above, terete below, wiry, glab.; basal sheaths dark grey-brown or reddish brown. Lvs 8–25–(35) cm. × 0.5–1.5 mm., plano-convex or with adaxial surface slightly concave, lamina grooved at the back, flattened at the tip, occ. with slightly scabrid margins. Infl. a linear, ± continuous, erect, compound spike 1.5–3–(4) cm. long, c. 4 mm. diam., composed of 5–10 ± contiguous, pale straw-coloured spikes; bracts subtending spikes glume-like, long-awned, not > infl. Almost dioec., spikes either mostly male with rarely a female spikelet, or spikes wholly female, occ. with a single male fl. at the top. Glumes ± = utricles, linear-lanceolate, acuminate or awned, membr., pale green to pale brown or almost colourless. Utricles 3.5–4 × c. 1 mm., plano-convex, narrow-lanceolate, strongly nerved on flat face; beak 1.5–2 mm. long, tapering, with finely scabrid wings and oblique, bifid orifice; stipe 0.5–1 mm. long, hardly contracted. Stigmas 2. Nut c. 2 mm. long, oblong-obovoid, smooth and shining, brown.