Dwarf annual with fibrous roots. Stems tufted, ribbed, antrorsely scabrid-hispid at least at the top, leafy at the base, 7-12 cm by ⅓-½ mm. Leaves much shorter than the stems, strongly falcate in the same direction (to the right or to the left), flat, abruptly acuminate, apiculate, antrorsely spinulose-scabrid on the margins, (1-)2 mm wide; ligule absent. Inflorescence simple or subcompound, loose, with 3-10 spikelets, up to 4 cm long. Involucral bracts 2-3, obliquely erect, much shorter than the inflorescence, up to 15(-25) mm. Primary rays 3-5, obliquely erect, scabrid-pilose, up to 3 cm; secondary rays when present very short. Spikelets solitary, lanceolate, strongly compressed, acute, 6-12-flowered, pale to dark brown, 4-10 by (1-)1½-2 mm; rachilla winged. Glumes distichous, membranous, scabrid by minute hairs, ovate-lanceolate, acute, often mucronulate, prominently keeled, with ciliolate midnerve, nerveless sides, and broad hyaline margins, (2-)2½-3 by c. 1¾ mm. Stamens (1-)2(-3); anthers oblong, ⅓-½ mm. Style triquetrous, pyramidally thickened at the base, glabrous, (1-)1½-1¾ mm; stigmas 3, much shorter than the style. Nut trigonous with convex sides, pyriform, umbonulate, abruptly truncate at the base which is conspicuously broader than the short but distinct stipe, smooth or ver-ruculose, whitish, 2/5-5/6 by ½-⅔ mm; epidermal cells isodiametric.
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Annuals. Culms tufted, 5-13 cm tall, with radical leaves. Leaves slightly more than 1/2 as long as culm; leaf blade linear, 1-1.5 mm wide, slightly curved, margin ciliate, apex acute. Involucral bracts 2 or more, leaflike, 0.5-1.8 cm, less than 1 mm wide, hispid, apex acuminate. Inflorescence a simple or rarely subcompound anthela; rays 1-3 cm, hairy. Spikelets solitary, ovoid to broadly ovoid, 4-5 × ca. 1.5 mm, slightly compressed, with basal 1-3 glumes empty. Glumes brown, ovate, 2.5-3 mm, membranous, not densely gland-dotted, hairy, midvein abaxially forming a slight keel and excurrent into a mucro; empty glumes shorter than fertile ones, with longer awns. Stamens 3. Ovary white, cylindric, 3-sided; style pale brown, ca. 2 mm, basally inflated; stigmas 3. Nutlet pale yellow to nearly white, very shortly stipitate, obovoid, 3-sided, verruculose, base truncate. Fl. and fr. Aug.
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