2n = c. 60

Very dense, dingy-red tufts to 7 cm high; rhizome short. Leaves narrow, plano-convex, much > stems. Inflorescence a short dense head of 3-4, sessile, crowded, light brown spikes ± 5 mm long, hidden among leaves. Utricles light red-brown, distinctly beaked. Stigmas 3.

Tufts very dense, 3–7 cm. high; shortly rhizomatous. Culms completely hidden by the light grey-brown, membr., fibrillose lf-sheaths. Lvs c. 0.5 mm. wide, dingy red, much > culms, plano-convex, nerved on the abaxial surface, smooth on the adaxial surface, margins scabrid, tip subobtuse, often somewhat curled. Infl. a short dense head of 3–4 spikes; terminal spike male, slender, very shortly pedunculate, glumes lanceolate, acute, red-brown; remaining spikes female, sessile, 5–12-fld, glumes c. 3.5 × 1.5 mm., dull red-brown, distinctly nerved, lanceolate, acute, with the midrib produced to a scabrid awn. Utricles 2–3.5 × c. 1.5 mm., biconvex, or obscurely trigonous, elliptic-lanceolate, spreading when ripe, light red-brown, distinctly nerved, narrowed to a ± scabrid beak 0.5–1 mm. long, bidentate, orifice scabrid. Stigmas 3. Nut c. 1.5 mm. long, obtusely trigonous, oblong-obovoid, dark grey-brown.