Stems borne single on the rhizome, acutely 5-angled (according to RIDLEY also 4-angled), smooth or slightly scaberulous just below the inflorescence, 35-65 cm by 2-4 mm, the base covered with bladeless, coriaceous, castaneous sheaths; upper sheaths scarious, lanceolate, 10-20 cm long. Leaf-blades 0-5, gradually narrowed into a very acute to almost filiform scabrous point, scaberulous on the margins and the nerves on the under side at least in the upper part, glaucescent, 60-125 by 1-2 cm. Involucral bracts 5-8, similar to the leaves, erect, rigid, plicate, castaneous at the base, unequal, the lowest 20-75 by 1-2 cm. Spikelets half hidden in the bases of the involucral bracts, obovoid or obconical, 1-2 cm long and wide. Outer glumes obovate-cuneate, abruptly cuspidate, minutely serrulate-ciliate on the upper margin, pale at the base, castaneous at the apex, with a scabrous, up to 5 mm long awn, 7-11 by 5-7 mm; upper glumes gradually becoming lanceolate, pale, tipped with reddish brown. Flowers 5-11 mm long; outermost scales subspathulate, the wing on the keel up to 1 mm wide; posticous and anticous scales spathulate, obtuse, ciliolate at the top; fertile scales narrowly lanceolate, acute. Anthers linear, up to 6 mm long. Style purplish, 5-10 mm long. Nut terete or slightly angular, very acute and acuminate or subacuminate, longitudinally striatesulcate, stramineous with fuscescent base, 5-6 by 3-4 mm, the stipe (sterile basal part) fuscous, striolate, 3-4 by 2-3 mm.
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