Glabrous perennial with short, woody rhizome. Stems densely tufted, rigid, ancipitous, with a median rib on either side, scabrid or scabrous in the upper part, many-leaved at the base, 50-70 cm by 1½-2 mm. Leaves somewhat shorter than the stems, rather rigid, flat, gradually narrowed to the abruptly acuminate apex, with scabrous, somewhat incurved margins, glaucous, 3-5 mm wide; ligule absent; lower sheaths shining, spadiceous. Inflorescence decompound, rather dense, with numerous spikelets, 5-10 cm long and wide. Involucral bracts 3-5, the lowest as long as or longer than the inflorescence. Primary rays several, erecto-patent, compressed, smooth, up to 4(-7)cm. Spikelets all solitary or partly in clusters of 2-3, narrowly ovoid, angular, often slightly compressed, acute, many-flowered, 4-7(-12) by 2-2½ mm; rachilla broadly winged. Glumes spiral, sometimes subdistichous, membranous, patulous at the top, oblong-ovate, acute or apiculate, acutely keeled, 2-2¾ by 1½ mm; keel green, 3-nerved, sides ferrugineous to fuscous, nerve-less. Stamens 3; anthers linear, ¾-1 mm long. Style flat, dilated at the base, glabrous or sparsely papillose at the top; stigmas 2, about as long as the style. Nut biconvex, obovate or broadly obovate, shortly stipitate, umbonulate, smooth or sparsely verruculose, stramineous, ultimately dull greyish brown, ¾-4/5 by ½-¾ mm; epidermal cells transversely elliptic to oblong.
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