Herb 4–24 cm high. Leaves linear to lanceolate, (3.5–) 5.5–20 cm long, (1.5–) 2.5–6 mm wide, 8–15-nerved. Peduncle 3.5–24 cm long, rarely in some populations the heads sessile. Sheath 20–30 (–75) mm long. Flower heads depressed-globular, 2.8–4 mm long, 3.8–7 mm wide. Involucral bracts straw-yellow or sometimes black in upper half or at apex, broadly elliptic to oblong, 2–3 (–4) mm long, 2–3.2 mm wide, obtuse, glabrous, not reflexed at maturity; in sessile heads the bracts may be more lanceolate with an acute apex. Floral bracts straw-yellow or sometimes black at apex, obovate to spathulate, 1.9–2.5 (–4) mm long, 1.4–2.5 mm wide, truncate and mucronate or acute, glabrous. Receptacle glabrous. Male flowers: sepals absent (or 2), free, hyaline, navicular, c. 1.2 mm long, c. 0.3 mm wide, obtuse or truncate, pubescent with hyaline marginal hairs; petals 2 or absent (then flower consisting only of androphore), hyaline, acute, glabrous; stamens 2; anthers black. Female flowers dimorphic; sepals absent or 2 (outermost flowers with sepals, innermost flowers lacking sepals), hyaline and rarely with dark patches on wing, equal, navicular, with broad dorsal wing and transparent window, 1–1.6 mm long, 0.7–1.3 mm wide, crested, pubescent with tangled hyaline hairs at opening; petals 2 (or 3), hyaline, equal or dimorphic with one smaller, elliptic, 1.5–2.3 mm long, 0.5–0.85 mm wide, bifid, glabrous; ovary 2-locular. Seeds 0.45–0.63 mm long, 0.25–0.4 mm wide; epidermal cell walls with longitudinal rows of hair or peg-like projections, often with a terminal cap and often erect.
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