Rhizomatous; summer-green perennial, in coarse yellow-green tufts, (20)–50–100–(120) cm. high, each rather well-spaced on a hard, woody rhizome 5–12 mm. diam. Culms 1.5–3 mm. diam., trigonous, scabrid below infl.; basal sheaths membr., grey-brown, yellow-brown or dull red-brown, margins shredding into fibres wrapped round the culm. Lvs much > culms, 4–9 mm. wide, double-folded, stiff, coriac., hard, shining, margins closely scabrid. Spikes 8–15, pend. on filiform peduncles us. much > spike; 2–6 uppermost spikes male, 2–3 mm. diam., glumes hardly awned; remaining spikes female, occ. male at the top, geminate or ternate, rarely quinate, lower spikes the longest, 2–7–(10) cm. × c. 5 mm. Glumes (excluding awn) < utricles, narrow-ovate or obovate, with a short hispid awn, coriac., red-brown, margins narrow-hyaline; midrib broad, 3-nerved, light brown. Utricle (1.9)–2.3–2.8–(3.3) × (1.2)–1.5–2 mm., unequally biconvex, orbicular or broadly ovoid, yellow-green or light grey-brown, green towards the tip, faintly nerved but with prominent lateral ridges, margins smooth, gradually narrowed to a short beak c. 0.3 mm. long, orifice entire; stipe c. 0.5 mm. long. Stigmas 2. Nut slightly < 1.5 mm. long, c. ¾ length of utricle, biconvex, orbicular or oblong-ovoid, dark brown to black.
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Rhizomatous, summer-green coarse tufts to 1 m high. Female spikes in twos or threes at each inflorescence-node, greenish-or yellowish-brown, pendulous, on long peduncles. Utricles ± 2.5 mm long, almost smooth, not easily punctured; beak minute. Stigmas 2.
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