Elegia spathacea Mast.

Plants tufted, 0.3-0.8 m high; rhizomes and stolons absent. Culms unbranched, round (not compressed), smooth or finely rugulose; clusters of sterile branches absent. Leaf sheaths deciduous, loosely convolute, penicillate mucro absent or < 1.3 mm long. Male inflorescences with 50-500 or more spikelets, spikelets terete or angular; spathes caducous, taller than spikelets, cartilaginous. Female inflorescences with 11-20 spikelets, spathes persistent, longer than and obscuring spikelets. Ovary unilocular; styles 3, white and plumose, bases free. Flowering time Oct.-Feb. Fruit an indehiscent nut; elaiosome absent.