Herb 6–35 cm high. Leaves linear, 1.2–6 cm long, 0.16–0.7 cm wide, 4–11-nerved. Peduncle 6–30 cm long, with 4–7 ribs. Sheath 20–60 mm long. Flower heads hemispherical to ovoid, squarrose, 2.5–6.5 mm long, 3.5–6 mm wide. Involucral bracts dirty straw-yellow or black with pale tips, obovate to lanceolate, 1.25–2.5 mm long, 0.75–1.9 mm wide, acuminate to acute, sparsely pubescent with white hairs, strongly reflexed at maturity. Floral bracts black with pale tip, obovate to spathulate, 1.4–2.4 mm long, 0.5–1 mm wide, acuminate to aristate with tip to 0.6 mm long, pubescent with white hairs which are readily deciduous leaving a pustulate surface. Receptacle densely pilose, conical. Male flowers 1.2–1.6 mm long; sepals 3, free, black, equal, linear to oblong, slightly dilated at apex, 0.7–1.25 mm long, 0.2–0.35 mm wide, obtuse to truncate, glabrous or rarely sparsely pubescent with white hairs in apical fringe and median area; petals 3, hyaline, dimorphic with one larger, triangular, acute, glabrous; stamens 6; anthers black or rarely yellow. Female flowers: sepals 3 but readily deciduous and often appearing fewer, black, equal, linear or navicular and geniculate, lacking dorsal keel or wing, 1–1.8 mm long, 0.13–0.25 mm wide, obtuse to truncate or lobed, pubescent with white hairs in apical fringe and median area which are readily deciduous leaving a pustulate surface; petals 3, black, dimorphic with one slightly larger, spathulate, 1–1.5 mm long, 0.2–0.4 mm wide, acute, pubescent with white hairs abaxially and hyaline hairs on margin and adaxially; ovary 3–locular. Seeds 0.33–0.5 mm long, 0.26–0.36 mm wide; epidermal cells more or less isodiametric, peg-like projections on both transverse and longitudinal walls.
Creek lines, riparian woodland, Melaleuca swamps, seepage areas and open grassy swamps, rock pavements.
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