Perennial with very short rhizome. Stems tufted, usually rather stout, triquetrous with concave sides to distinctly 3-winged, smooth, (5-)10-45 cm by 1½-5 mm. Leaves linear, canaliculate at the base, otherwise flat, longer than the stems, gradually attenuate in the long, triquetrous top, scabrid on nerves and margins, with 3 more prominent nerves, 6-20 mm wide; lower sheaths rubiginous. Inflorescence simple or subcompound, usually loose. Involucral bracts 5-6(-8), patent, linear or linear-lanceolate, the longer ones much overtopping the inflorescence, up to 30(-45) by 2 cm. Primary rays 6-12, obliquely spreading, slender, smooth, 4-10(-20) cm. Spikelets digitately arranged, 2-4(-7) together or some solitary, oblong-linear, obtusish, compressed though somewhat turgid, 10-40(-50)-flowered, 5-25 (-40) by 2½-3 mm; rachilla straight, hardly winged, persistent; internodes ⅔-1 mm. Glumes subcoriaceous, patulous at the top, broadly ovate to ovate-lanceolate, not rarely broader than long, incurved, c. ½ imbricate, obtuse, minutely mucronulate, 11-17-nerved, ferrugineous to blackish brown, 2½-3½ by 2-3 mm. Stamens 3; anthers linear, c. 1 mm, with bristly appendage of the connective. Style ciliate, ¾-1¼ mm. Nut trigonous, obovoid or ellipsoid, obtuse or acutish, blackish brown, 1½-2 by 1-1¼ mm.
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