2n = 48

Rhizome 3-7 mm in diameter, closely covered by dark brown, imbricating scales, 1-2 cm long, each enclosing a tuft of coarse brown hairs, Culms 50-150-(180) cm × 1.5-2.5 mm, usually densely packed, erect, simple, terete, grey-green, yellow-green or reddish. Leaves all reduced to bract-like sheaths, dark brown, almost black, spaced at intervals of 7-9 cm at the base of the culm, and 4-6 cm higher up; margins entire. Male and female inflorescences dissimilar. Male spikelets pedunculate, in panicles or fascicles; upper floral bracts ovatelanceolate, mucronate, red-brown with membranous margins. ♂ flowers: tepals 6-4, almost completely hyaline, the outer longer, brownish, the inner shorter, paler; stamens 3; ovary rudimentary. Female spikelets ± sessile, fascicled; upper floral bracts ovate, mucronate, larger than tepals. ♀ flowers: tepals 6, the outer keeled, lanceolate, acuminate, the inner flat, smaller, almost hyaline, more obtuse, mucronate; styles 3, united to midway, bright red; staminodes 0. Fruit c. 1.0 × 0.5 mm, triquetrous, indehiscent. Seed c. 1.0 × 0.4 mm, oblong-elliptical, goldenbrown, surface with reticulate markings, apiculate at each end, one end dark brown, the other pale, almost white,

Plantae dioicae, rhizomis squamosis longe repentibus. Culmi erecti, simplices, teretes. Folia omnia ad vaginas persistentes redacta, subaequaliter culmum secus dispositas et culmo arete appressas. Inflorescentiae masculae et femineae dissimiles, spiculis utriusque sexus plurifloribus. Spiculae masculae pedunculatae, in paniculis vel fasciculis dispositae. Flores $ : tepala 6-4, fere omnino hyalina; stamina tria; pistilli rudimentum parvum. Spiculae femineae plus minusve sessiles, fasciculatae. Flores ? : tepala 6, exteriora tria subcarinata, tria interiora complanata breviora fere hyalina; staminodia 0; styli tres, ad medium usque conjuncti, punicei. Fructus minutus, triquetrus, indehiscens. Semina fulva.

Rhizome 3–7 mm. diam., closely covered by dark brown, imbricating scales, 1–2 cm. long, each enclosing a tuft of coarse brown hairs. Culms 50–150–(180) cm. × 1.5–2.5 mm., us. densely packed, erect, simple, terete, grey-green, yellow-green, or reddish. Lvs reduced to bract-like sheaths, dark brown, almost black, spaced at intervals of 7–9 cm. at the base of the culm, of 4–6 cm. higher up; margins entire. Male and female infls dissimilar. Male spikelets stalked, in panicles or fascicles; upper floral bracts ovate-lanceolate, mucronate, red-brown with membr. margins. ♂, tepals 6–4, almost completely hyaline, the outer longer, brownish, the inner shorter, paler; stamens 3; ovary rud. Female spikelets ± sessile, fascicled; upper floral bracts ovate, mucronate, > tepals. ♀, tepals 6, the outer keeled, lanceolate, acuminate, the inner flat, smaller, almost hyaline, more obtuse, mucronate; styles 3, united to midway, bright red; staminodes 0. Fr. c. 1 × 0.5 mm., triquetrous, ind. Seed c. 1 × 0.4 mm., oblong-elliptical, golden-brown, surface with reticulate markings, apiculate at each end, one end dark brown, the other pale, almost white.