Herb 6–33 cm high. Leaves linear, 1.5–14 cm long, 1–3.5 mm wide, 6–9–nerved. Peduncle 7–27 cm long. Sheath 20–65 mm long. Flower heads ovoid or hemispherical, sometimes depressed, 3–6.5 mm long, 4–6 mm wide. Involucral bracts straw-yellow, obovate to oblong, 1–2.5 mm long, 1.1–2 mm wide, obtuse, glabrous or pubescent with hyaline hairs, not reflexed at maturity. Floral bracts straw-yellow or hyaline, sometimes with dark apices, obovate to spathulate, 1.5–2.6 mm long, 0.85–2 mm wide, obtuse with mucro, glabrous or pubescent with sparse hyaline hairs on upper margin and apex. Receptacle sparsely hairy or densely pilose. Male flowers 1.1–2 mm long; sepals (0) 1 (2), free, hyaline, linear, 0.83–1.5 mm long, 0.16–0.5 mm wide, acute, pubescent with marginal hyaline hairs or glabrous; petals 0–2 but lobes often obscure, hyaline, equal, oblong, acute, glabrous or pubescent with hyaline hairs in apical fringe; stamens 4; anthers black. Female flowers dimorphic; sepals (0) 1 (2), straw yellow to hyaline, equal, navicular, with broad dorsal wing and transparent window, 1.25–1.8 mmlong, 0.7–1.5 mm wide, crested usually with 2 prominent teeth, glabrous or pubescent with a few hyaline hairs on teeth and inner margin; petals 2, hyaline, equal, narrowly elliptic, 1.25–1.8 mm long, 0.25–0.8 mm wide, bifid, pubescent with hyaline marginal hairs; ovary 2–locular. Seeds 0.375–0.45 mm long, 0.275–0.4 mm wide; epidermal cells with even wall thickenings.
Creek lines, alluvial fans, marine plains and seepage areas in open grassy swamps or with Melaleuca or Pandanus swamp open forest, woodland. Also recorded from disturbed sites such as graded banks and roadside drains. Grows in a variety of soil types.
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