2n = c. 74

Leaves reddish or green, (25-) 30-45 (-60) cm long, 1.5-2.2 mm broad, conduplicate or subplicate, scabrid on the margins and upper surfaces, basal sheaths short, 2-6 ( -10) cm long. Culms equalling or longer than the leaves (10-) 30-50 cm long, 0.5-1 mm wide, trigonous, scabrid on the angles above or subterete and smooth. Inflorescence 8-20 cm long, lowest internode 2-16 cm long, lowest bract sheath 1-2 cm long. Spikes 4-5 ( -6), terminal male, 1-2 cm long, slender, on a peduncle up to 1 cm long or subsessile, remainder female, lowest 1-1.5 cm long, upper shorter, 0.4 cm wide, cylindric, sessile or the lowest on peduncles up to 1 cm long. Glumes equalling the utricles, oblong, obtuse to subacute to shortly acuminate, pale to red brown with a broad hyaline margin, and a pale midrib not reaching the margin or else produced into a short mucro up to 0.2 mm long. Utricles 2-2.2 (-2.5) mm long, 1.3-1.8 mm wide, ovoid ellipsoid to broadly ellipsoid to suborbicular, planoconvex or unequally biconvex, pale below, dark brown above, smooth and shining, margins scabrid on upper half, beak absent, crura up to 0.2 mm long, readily abraded.

Folia rubescentia vel viridia, (25-) 30-45 (-60) cm longa, 1.5-2.2 mm lata, canaliculata, conduplicata vel subplicata, culmi folia aequantes vel excedentes, inflorescentia 8-20 cm longa, spicae 4-5 ( -6), spica terminalis mascula, ceterae femineae, infima 1-1.5 cm longa, superiores breviores, 0.4 cm latae, sessiles vel ima cum pedunculo ad 1 cm longo. Glumae utriculos aequantes, oblongae, obtusae vel breviter acuminatae, costa nanad marginemattingens vel in brevemmucronem ad 0.2 mm longum producta. Utriculi 2-2.2 mm longi, 1.3-1.8 mm latiovoideo-ellipsoidei, late ellipsoidei. vel suborbiculares, pallidi infra, supra fusco-brunnei, laeves nitentesque, scabridi ad apicem in marginibus, rostrum 0, crura ad 0.2 mm longa, caduca. Stigmata 2. .

Harsh, light green or reddish tufts to 75 cm high. Female spikes 2-5, ± distant, ± sessile, ± 2.5 cm × 5 mm, red-brown. Glumes obtuse, membranous, midrib often not reaching margin. Utricles crowded, spreading when ripe, margins usually scabrid. Stigmas 2.

Tufts dense, harsh, (25)–30–75–(90) cm. high, light green or reddish. Culms (0.5)–1–2 mm. diam., trigonous or subtrigonous, smooth or occ. slightly scabrid towards infl.; basal sheaths dark brown, red-, yellow-, or grey-brown, nerves ± distinct. Lvs ∞, > culms, 1.5–2.5 mm. wide, channelled, margins closely scabrid. Spikes 4–8, upper approximate, ± sessile, lower 1–3 us. more distant, shortly pedunculate, erect; terminal spike male, occ. with female fls intermixed, remaining spikes female, often male at base; lower spikes (1)–2–2.5─(4) cm. × 4–6 mm., upper spikes progressively smaller. Glumes ± = or slightly < utricles, orbicular-ovate, obtuse, membr., creamy brown or darker flecked, midrib light brown, 3-nerved, not reaching margin or in some glumes produced to a very short mucro. Utricles (2)–2.3–2.8 × c. 1.5 mm., crowded on spike, spreading when ripe, unequally biconvex or almost plano-convex, elliptic-ovoid, yellow-brown at base, upper half with darker red-brown markings and us. scabrid margins, shining, smooth, abruptly narrowed to a small cream bifid beak c. 0.2 mm. long, margins and orifice faintly scabrid. Stigmas 2. Nut slightly > 1 mm. long, biconvex, ellipsoid, cream at first, later very dark brown.