Light blue-green clumps about 45-120 cm high with slender, tightlypacked stems, their basal bracts very dark red-purple, almost black below; the inflorescence of small pale clusters at the tips of up to five very slender erect branches, 1-2 branches longer than the rest and branched again; stamens 3, sometimes 4; capsule noticeably exceeding the tepals with a reddish-brown subacute top.

Herba perennis dense caespitosa. Rhizoma c. 3-4 mm diametro, bracteis parvis, purpureo-nigris obtectum. Culmi c. (20)-45-120 cm × (1)-1.5-2.3 mm, erecti, subcaerulei, parum nitidi, rugis distinctis in longitudinem lineati, medulla molli, lacunis interrupta; cataphylla basim culmorum laxe amplexa, purpureo-nigra, supra straminea. Inflorescentia multiflora, pars basi conglobata, pars in 2-5 ramulis gracilibus erecta, ex ipsis ramulis 1-2 ramuli longiores iterum divisi. Flores ad apices ramulorum glomerati. Tepala c. 1.5—2 mm longa, primo viridescentia, deinde straminea, marginibus late membranaceis, tepala exteriora rubescentia. Stamina 3 vel 4. Capsula c. 2-2.5 mm longa, tepala manifeste superans, ovoidea, supra sensim angustata, diluto-brunnea, apice saepe subfusco, subacuto.

Slender close-packed clumps; rhizome short. Stems 45-120 cm × (1) -1.5-2.5 mm, hard, erect, bluish-green, ridged, dull, pith irregularly interrupted. Basal sheaths closely appressed, loose, dark red-purple, ± black below. Inflorescence 5-10 cm long with up to 5 very slender erect branches, 1-2 longer than rest and branched again. Flowers small, clustered at branchlet tips. Tepals 1.5-2 mm long, ± equal, acute. Stamens 3- (4). Capsule 2-2.5 mm long, usually noticeably > tepals, ovoid, tapered to subacute top, reddish-brown.