2n = c. 58

Dense green or red tufts to 1 m high. Stems often elongating to 2 m when mature. Female spikes c. 5, usually distant and pedunculate, erect, ± 3 cm × 4 mm, brown. Glumes red-brown with conspicuous paler midrib. Utricles usually almost nerveless and glabrous. Stigmas 2.

Often densely tufted. Culms 35–75 cm. × 0.5–1 mm., or occ. slightly wider, close-packed, trigonous or subtrigonous, smooth or slightly scabrid for a short distance below infl., often elongating very much in fr. up to c. 180 cm. and becoming prostrate; basal sheaths dark brown, occ. tinged with red-purple, nerves ± distinct. Lvs ∞, us. > culms, 1.5–2.5–(4) mm. wide, bright shining green or reddish, spreading or drooping at the tips, channelled, margins sharply scabrid. Spikes 4–8; terminal 1–2–(3) spikes male, close together, slender; remaining spikes female, 1.5–3–(4) cm. × 3–5 mm., us. distant, us. pedunculate but ± erect, often male at the base, rarely male at the top also. Glumes ± = utricles, broadly ovate, us. obtuse, often with fimbriate margins, occ. almost emarginate, subcoriac., dark or light red-brown, occ. distinctly nerved, midrib distinct and thickened, conspicuously light brown, almost cream, produced to a short, slightly scabrid awn. Utricles 2–2.5–(3) × c. 1.5 mm., unequally biconvex, almost plano-convex, elliptic-ovoid, light brown at base, us. dark brown towards the top, smooth and shining, or faintly nerved on the more convex face, margins glab., rarely very slightly scabrid below beak; beak c. 0.4 mm. long, acutely bidentate, margins slightly scabrid; stipe c. 0.3 mm. long. Stigmas 2. Nut < 1.5 mm. long, biconvex, ovoid-oblong, dark brown.