Rhizome c. 3 mm. diam., hard and woody, covered with very loose bracts. Culms 50–120 cm. × 1–2 mm., terete. Lowermost lvs reduced to sheathing bracts, light brown; upper lvs 1–3, terete like the stems, internally septate, tips acute. Panicle 10–40 cm. long, rounded at the tip, interrupted, branchlets drooping, in distant fascicles, the lowermost often remote, the stoutest lateral branchlet arising from lowest spathaceous bract < 1 mm. diam., us. only c. 0.5 mm. diam.; bracts large, membr., acuminate, spathaceous, light greenish brown. Spikelets , 3–3.5–(4.5) mm. long, approximate and rather evenly distributed along the branchlets, brown, 2–4-fld, us. only 2 lowest fls fertile. Glumes 4–7, ovate, acute, or acuminate, membr., pale brown below, red towards the tip and scabrid; margins ciliate. Nut 2–2.5 × c. 1 mm., oblong, trigonous, smooth, whitish, beak small.