Perennial with very short rhizome. Stems rigid, densely tufted, trigonous, or triquetrous above, smooth or scabrid below the inflorescence, striate, (10-)30-60 cm by 2-3 mm, the base almost bulbous by broad, brown, many-nerved sheaths. Leaves crowded, mostly shorter than the stems, linear, rigid, keeled-complicate, septate-nodulose, light or greyish green, scabrous on the margins, (2-)4 mm wide. Inflorescence simple or subcompound. Involucral bracts 4-5, patent, finally reflexed, lower 2 overtopping the inflorescence. Primary rays 5-10, rather firm, obliquely spreading, unequal, up to 5 cm, secondary ones when present very short, divaricate. Spikes globose or hemispherical, very dense, with 6-numerous spikelets, 5-10 mm Ø. Spikelets stellately spreading, linear-lanceolate, rather acute, slightly compressed, 6-many-flowered, 5-20 by 2-3 mm; rachilla very narrowly winged, deciduous or persistent. Glumes firm, broadly ovate, finally patulous, obtuse, shortly mucronulate, somewhat remote, with green keel and fulvous or golden brown sides, shiny, 7-9-nerved, 2-2½ mm long. Stamens 3; anthers linear, ⅔-1 mm, with short, smooth appendage of the connective. Style very short; stigmas 3, longer than the style. Nut somewhat shorter than the subtending glume, triquetrous, oblong-obovate, conically apiculate, yellowish brown, densely puncticulate, 1⅔-2 by ⅔-1 mm.
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