Densely tufted, or covering large tracts of ground with rather more distant culms. Rhizome 2–4 mm. diam., fibrous and flexuous, often very far-creeping, covered with , closely imbricate, grey papery bracts. Culms 30–90–(110) cm. × 1.5–2.5–(4) mm., terete or slightly compressed, striate, yellow-green. Lowermost lvs reduced to sheathing bracts, pinkish brown, rarely dark grey, mucronate; upper lvs 1–3, < or ± = culms, terete like the culms except towards the subulate, pungent tip, internally septate, sheath loose. Panicle 4–18 cm. long, stiff, erect, narrowed and pointed towards the tip like a spear-head, with , closely packed branchlets; sheaths subtending panicle and branchlets short, membr., pale brown, striate. Spikelets , 3–5 mm. long, fascicled, very close-set, very dark brown, almost black, 1- or rarely 2-fld, but only 1 fl. fertile. Glumes 4–5, ovate, acuminate to mucronate, almost awned, dark brown, smooth or slightly scabrid at the back, margins ± ciliate. Nut 1.5–2 × c. 1 mm., oblong-obovoid, white or pale brown, surface deeply and ± vertically corrugated; style-base very small, hardly distinct, smooth.