Plants perennial, densely tufted, 7--30 cm tall. Stems erect or obliquely ascending, ca. 0.3 mm in diam. Cataphylls few. Basal leaves 2(--4), sub-basal leaf 1; leaf sheath auricles sharply pointed; leaf blade linear, proximal ones 10--12 cm, distal ones 1--2.5 cm. Bract subtending inflorescence leaflike, 0.5--0.7 cm. Inflorescences cymose, 2--7-flowered; bracts 2 at base of pedicels. Bracteoles 2 subtending each flower, chestnut brown, broadly ovate, ca. 3.5 mm, apex sharply pointed. Perianth segments greenish white to straw-colored, lanceolate, apex acute; outer segments 4.3--5.5 mm; inner segments 5--7 mm. Stamens 6; filaments ca. 3.2 mm; anthers 1.5--2 mm. Style 2.5--3 mm; stigmas 0.8--1 mm. Capsule chestnut brown at maturity, trigonous ovoid, ca. 5 mm, 1-loculed, apex usually narrowed into a beak. Seeds oblong, ca. 0.8 mm; appendages 2, white, ca. 0.5 mm. Fl. Jul--Aug, fr. Aug--Sep.