Glabrous annual with fibrous roots. Stems densely tufted, setaceous, trigonous, slightly compressed, smooth, 3-10(-20) cm by ½-¾ mm. Leaves usually shorter than the stems, flat or canaliculate, rather abruptly acuminate, smooth or slightly scabrid at the top, glaucous, with stramineous sheaths, ½-¾ mm wide; ligule absent. Inflorescence capitate, semi-globose to globose, with (2-)4-10(-25) spikelets, ½-1 cm across. Involucral bracts 2-4, somewhat dilated at the base, finally patent to reflexed, the lowest much longer than the inflorescence. Spikelets sessile, oblong-ovoid or cylindrical, slightly angular, acutish, very densely many-flowered, 4-10 by 1½-1½ mm; rachilla narrowly winged. Glumes spiral, membranous, broadly ovate-deltoid, obtusish, mutic-ous or apiculate, slightly keeled, 3-nerved, with strong midnerve, and nerveless, silvery grey, fer-rugineous or fuscescent sides, c. 1 by 1 mm. Stamen 1; anther oblong, ½ mm. Style flat, not hyaline-margined, dilated at the base, minutely ciliolate in the upper part, ¾ mm long; stigmas 2, somewhat shorter than the style. Nut biconvex, with acute edges, broadly obovate or suborbicular, shortly stipitate, minutely umbonulate, smooth or sparsely verruculose, obscurely reticulate by the transversely elliptic or oblong, not impressed epidermal cells, ½ by 2/5-½ mm.
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