2n = c. 60

Shoots close together from woody, dark brown rhizomes, loosely tufted, not tussock-forming, pale or bright green, to 55 cm high. Inflorescence a spike-like greenish-brown panicle 1.5-5 cm long. Spikes many, sessile, ± densely clustered, male flowers at top. Utricles dark brown, nerved on one face; beak-margins scabrid. Stigmas 2.

Rhizomatous; loosely tufted, pale or bright green, not tussock-forming, shoots arising singly from the rhizome. Rhizome c. 2 mm. diam., loosely covered by dark brown sheaths, roots , fibrous, chestnut-brown; shoots approximate, 2–3 mm. diam. at base including basal sheaths. Culms 15–55 cm. × c. 1 mm., wiry, trigonous, smooth below, angles scabrid above; basal sheaths dark grey-brown. Lvs < culms, 1.5–3 mm. wide, channelled, scabrid on the edges, becoming triquetrous towards the tip. Infl. 1.5–5 cm. long, a compound spike, with a few spikes distant below and ± spikes clustered above, greenish brown, rarely subtended by a lf-like bract ± = infl. Spikes c. 5 mm. long, androgynous, male fls terminal. Glumes = or slightly < utricles, ovate, brown with wide membr. margins, midrib excurrent, finely scabrid in lower glumes. Utricles 3–3.5 × 1.5–2 mm., plano-convex, occ. unequally biconvex, broadly ovoid, with short distinct nerves radiating from the base on the convex face, but smooth on the flat face, shining, dark brown; beak c. 1 mm. long, sub-pyramidal, light brown, margins scabrid, orifice bifid; stipe minute, c. 0.2 mm. long, very narrow. Stigmas 2. Nut 1.5 mm. long, biconvex or subtrigonous, obovoid, very much narrowed towards the base, dull brown.