Herb (2–) 4.5–26 cm high. Leaves linear, 2–9.5 cm long, 1.5–4 mm wide, 3–6-nerved, apex acute. Peduncle 8.5–26 cm long, with 4–6 ribs. Sheath (9–) 25–60 mm long. Flower heads globular, 4–6.5 mm long, 4–7 (–9) mm wide. Involucral bracts hyaline, ovate or elliptic, 2.5–3 mm long, 1–1.5 mm wide, acute or obtuse, glabrous or with sparse white hairs, sterile, strongly reflexed at maturity. Floral bracts straw-yellow to hyaline at apex, narrowly lanceolate, 1.75–2.7 mm long, 0.5–1 mm wide, acuminate, pubescent on apical half, hairs white. Receptacle glabrous, conical. Male flowers 1.5–2 mm long; sepals 3, free, hyaline or straw-yellow, spathulate, 1.1–1.5 mm long, 0.3–0.7 mm wide, obtuse to truncate, pubescent with white hairs in apical fringe and median region; petals 3, hyaline, equal, triangular, acute or obtuse, with white hairs in an apical fringe and adaxially; stamens 6; anthers black. Female flowers equal; sepals 3, straw-yellow, equal, spathulate and navicular, often ± thick to fleshy, dorsally keeled or sometimes lacking, 1.5–2.75 mm long, 0.5–0.6 mm wide, acuminate or acute, with white hairs in an apical fringe and on abaxial surface; petals 3, free, hyaline or straw-yellow, equal, spathulate, often ± fleshy, 1.1–2 mm long, 0.35–0.6 mm wide, acute or obtuse, with white hairs in apical fringe and on the abaxial distal half; ovary 3-locular. Seeds 0.5–0.55 mm long, 0.3–0.35 mm wide; epidermal cells with even wall thickenings.