Herb 4–9 cm high. Leaves lanceolate, (3–) 4.5–6.5 cm long, 0.2–0.7 cm wide, (4–) 7–9-nerved. Peduncle 4.5–7.5 cm long, with 4 or 5 ribs. Sheath (35–) 45–65 mm long. Flower heads globular but spikey in appearance due to prominent mucro of the floral bracts, 3–5.5 mm long, 4–5 mm wide. Involucral bracts hyaline, spathulate, 2–2.5 mm long, 1–1.5 mm wide, acute, glabrous, strongly reflexed at maturity. Floral bracts hyaline, narrowly oblanceolate, 1.5–2.3 mm long, 0.4–0.6 mm wide, acuminate or acute, glabrous but with slightly raised tubercles. Receptacle glabrous, conical. Male flowers 1–1.25 mm long; sepals 3, fused but split on one side to form a spathe which is deeply lobed and easily torn, hyaline, 0.8–1 mm long, c. 0.36 mm wide, acute or obtuse, glabrous or rarely pubescent with a few white hairs abaxially on median region; petals 3, hyaline, equal, triangular, acuminate or obtuse, glabrous or pubescent with sparse white hairs in apical fringe; stamens 3; anthers black. Female flowers: sepals 3, hyaline, equal, elliptic, lacking dorsal keel or wing or ± swollen along ridge, 1–1.5 mm long, 0.35–0.5 mm wide, acuminate or acute, glabrous; petals 3, hyaline, equal or dimorphic with one at maturity often with a longer mucro, spathulate or oblanceolate, 1.6–2.6 mm long, 0.5–0.8 mm wide, acuminate or mucronate, pubescent with sparse white hairs or glabrous; ovary 3-locular. Seeds c. 0.48 mm long, c. 0.38 mm wide; epidermal cells with even wall thickenings.
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