Perennial, tufted herb to 60 cm. high.. Stems erect and trailing, rooting at the nodes; internodes less than 1 cm. long.. Cataphylls absent.. Leaves all basal, linear-lanceolate, 5–12 mm. wide at the base, up to 40 cm. long, with subulate tips; sheaths closed, becoming split, up to 2 cm. long, tinged red.. Peduncle leafless.. Inflorescence taller than the leaves, many-branched, consisting of up to 50 semi-spherical capitula each with about 10 flowers; branches 1–8 cm. long; lower bracts leaf-like, up to 4.5 cm. long; upper bracts lanceolate, 3–4 mm. long, scabrous, blackish-brown; flowers subsessile, each subtended by a single bract; bracts triangular, 3 mm. long, 1.5 mm. wide at the base, acute, membranous, brown.. Outer perianth-segments lanceolate, 2.75 mm. long, 0.75 mm. wide, apex subulate, blackish-brown; inner segments triangular, 2.5 mm. long, 1 mm. wide, obtuse, blackish-brown with a wide colourless membranous margin.. Stamens 6; filaments linear, 0.75 mm. long; anthers linear, 0.75 mm. long.. Ovary 3-locular; style 0.3 mm. long; stigmas 1 mm. long.. Capsule subglobose, 1.75 mm. long, 1.25 mm. in diameter, apiculate, shiny, red-brown above, pale below.. Seeds ovoid, 0.3 mm. long, smooth.
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