Slender, perennial, aquatic herb. Rhizome woody, fibre-covered, 7–10 mm thick. Tubers ellipsoid or globular to obovoid, 8–20 (–28) mm long, 5–12 mm diam.; terminating roots 5–35 mm long. Leaves ± linear, floating, glossy above, (6–) 26–91 cm long, (1–) 2–8 mm wide, spongy basally; basal sheath tapered; T.S. c. 3 cm below sheath summit narrowly plano-to concavo-convex, with width of spongy portion 3.8–4.3 times its thickness and with sheath margins not meeting across blade face. Scape at fruiting c. 27–67 cm long, c. 1.3–6 mm diam. Infructescence a raceme, 0.6–13.5 cm long, 11–19 mm diam.; pedicels 1.2–3.5 mm long. Fruits 1–67 per infructescence, globular to depressed-globular, 4.7–8.7 mm long, 4.9–9.9 mm diam. Carpels (5 or) 6, all maturing or some aborting; central axis absent; mature carpels attached along 12.5–39 (–59)% of length, straight or with free extremities partly spiralled around each other, with 1 dorsal and 2 lateral rounded to narrowly obtuse ridges.
Usually growing in fresh, still, clear water to 30 cm deep in ephemeral swamps; occasional in small streams, stagnant water or coastal brackish habitats.
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