Rhizome horizontally long-creeping, branched, rooting at the nodes, clothed with membranous, acute, brownish sheaths, 1-3 mm thick, the internodes 3-6 cm long. Stems distant or somewhat tufted from the branched head of the rhizome, rigid, trigonous, smooth, 3-12 cm by 1-2 mm, in the Malesian specimens usually well exserted from the leaves. Leaves crowded, rigid, canaliculate, often recurved, scabrid on the margins in the upper part, 4-5 mm wide at the base, very gradually narrowed into the triquetrous pungent top. Inflorescence head-like, consisting of some digitately arranged, sessile, short spikes. Involucral bracts 3-5(-8), patent to somewhat reflexed, the longest up to 8 cm, much overtopping the inflorescence. Spikes ovoid or ellipsoid, 8-15 by 7-10 mm. Spikelets sessile, densely crowded, ovoid, acute, slightly compressed, 1-flowered, falling off as a whole, 4-5 by 1½-2 mm. Rachilla disarticulating above the basal 1-2 glumes; uppermost internode strongly flattened, similar to the glumes but nerveless, finally much thickened, corky, c. 3 mm long. Glumes broadly ovate, hardly keeled, many-nerved, acute or minutely apiculate, 3 lower ones empty, 2-3 mm long, the 4th flower-bearing, 3½-4½ mm long, thé uppermost vestigial. Stamens 3; anthers linear, yellow, with short, conical appendage of the connective, c. 2 mm long. Nut trigonous, oblong, slightly compressed, shining, castaneous to blackish, tightly enclosed in the upper internode of the rachilla, c. 2½ by ¾ mm.
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