Rhizome very short, thick; stolons wanting. Stems tufted, stout, prominently trigonous, smooth, not papillose, 30-100(-120) cm by up to 8 mm. Leaves often longer than the stem, rigid, coriaceous, strongly septate-nodulose, flat or canaliculate, very scabrous on the margins in the upper part and on the midrib beneath, very gradually attenuate, 5-20 mm wide; lower sheaths brown, finally dark brown to blackish. Involucral bracts 5-7, often very broad, patent, the lower ones far overtopping the inflorescence, purplish brown at the very base. Inflorescence large, compound, up to 10-radiate. Primary rays very unequal in length, compressed, smooth, the longest up to 20 cm, their tubular prophylls purple, up to 4 cm; secondary rays short, sometimes up to 2 cm. Spikes rather dense to dense, the terminal one oblong-cylindric, 2-3 cm wide, the lateral ones smaller, divergent. Spikelets obliquely to widely spreading, spicately arranged, oblong-linear to linear-lanceolate, flattened, acute, falling off as a whole, 6-20 by 1½-2 mm, 3-8-flowered; rachilla distinctly winged; wings whitish hyaline. Glumes erect, finally somewhat patulous, oblong-ovate or elliptic, acute, of a rich brown, with green keel and 2-3-nerved sides, the longest 4-6 mm. Stamens 3; anthers linear, 1½-2 mm long; connective shortly produced. Stigmas 3. Nut oblong-linear, triquetrous, acuminate, greyish brown, 2½-2¾ by ¾ mm.
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