2n = c. 70–72

Tuffs often rather loose, reddish green. Culms 7–30–(75) cm. × c. 1 mm., us. much > lvs, subtrigonous, glab. or scarcely scabrid; basal sheaths brown to dark brown, almost black, occ. red-tinged. Lvs 7–30 cm. × 1.5–2.5 mm., us. crowded at base of culm, channelled, occ. involute, stiff, coriac., margins moderately scabrid. Spikes 2–4, ± distant, sessile or the lowest occ. very shortly pedunculate; terminal 1–(2) spikes male, 1.5–3 mm. diam., us. clavate, rarely with a few female fls at the base; female spikes 1–2.5–(3) cm. × c. 5 mm. Glumes (excluding awn) slightly < utricles, ovate, acute, occ. emarginate, coriac., entirely red-purple, or red-brown with a green midrib produced to a hispid awn of variable length. Utricles c. 3 × 1.5 mm., unequally biconvex to plano-convex, ellipsoid, light brown at base, darker brown above, distinctly nerved, abruptly narrowed to a beak < 0.5 mm. long, deeply cleft with divergent teeth, orifice of beak scabrid, utricle otherwise entirely glab.; stipe c. 0.5 mm. long. Stigmas 2. Nut slightly < 2 mm. long, biconvex, oblong.