Herbs, dioecious, rhizomatous perennial, forming large dense tussocks to 15 cm across at the base. Rhizome short, + horizontal, c. 3 mm diam., with a dense tan‑brown pubescence; scales scarious, pale-to red-brown. Cataphylls pale red-brown. Culms not dimorphic, erect, straight, + terete, much-branched, (20–) 35–75 cm long, 1.2–1.9 mm diam., striate, glabrous, yellow-green; internodes several (4–7), 3.5–8.5 cm 1ong. Sheaths pale brown, lax and open, oblong, 1.2–2.0 cm long, scarious, finely striate, apex truncate, with long pilose hairs; lamina erect, to c. 1 mm long. Inflorescence of numerous spikelets terminal and axillary on numerous, slender, straight branches in clusters at several upper nodes; male and female inflorescences similar but male spikelets shorter and more rounded. Male spikelets ovoid, 3–4 mm long, 1.5–2.0 mm diam. Female spikelets narrow‑ovoid, 4–6.5 mm long, c. 1.0–1.5 mm diam. Male glumes: lower 5–12 sterile, upper 3–5 fertile (often with an abortive upper bud), broad‑obovate to elliptic, 0.6–2.4 mm long, mucronate, striate, red-brown, glabrous, apex blunt; mucro 0.1–0.4 mm long. Female glumes: lower 7–12 short and sterile; upper 1 fertile glume, (with an abortive upper bud), broadly oblong-obovate, striate, red-brown, glabrous, 1.3–3.8 mm long; mucro blunt, 0.1–0.2 mm 1ong. Male flowers: tepals 6; outer tepals narrow oblanceolate, acute, convex, 2.0–2.3 mm long, keeled, with a few apical hairs, adaxial tepal glabrous; inner tepals flat, narrow oblong‑obovate, 1.5–1.8 mm long, hyaline, glabrous; stamens 3; filaments 0.6–1.8 mm long; anthers 1.1–1.3 mm long. Female flowers: tepals 6, similar to males; outer tepals narrow oblong to obovate, equal in length, 2.6–3.0 mm long; inner tepals flat; usually only one locule reaching maturity; styles 2. Capsule c. 2 mm long with persistent styles, red‑brown. Seed ellipsoid, 1.3–1.5 mm long, striate with sharply defined longitudinal ridges. Culm anatomy: chlorenchyma interrupted by pillar cells.
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