Dioecious, rhizomatous, perennial herb, forming large spreading clumps to 2 m across. Rhizome horizontal, 1–3 mm diam.; scales dark brown, partially pubescent, mostly covering a brown woolly pubescence; cluster and sand-binding roots present. Culms crowded on the rhizome, at first straight and erect, becoming twisted and convoluted; terete, simple, c. 50 cm long, 1.0–1.2 mm diam., smooth, yellow-green or grey-green, glabrous; internodes numerous. Sheaths: lower sheaths oblong, dark red-brown, glabrous, c. 12 mm long, apex usually weathered; upper sheaths caducous, oblong, lax and open, 4.5–8.0 mm long, red-brown, the margin light orange-brown, with a few short hairs at the lamina base; apex obtuse or truncate; lamina 1.2–1.8 mm long. Spikelets borne singly in the axils of the uppermost 3–9 nodes; spathes similar to sheaths but persistent. Male spikelets narrow ovoid, 5–7 mm long, glumes red-brown, broad-lanceolate; awn erect, dark brown, up to 2 mm long. Female spikelets narrow ovoid, 5–7 mm long, glumes all fertile; glumes ovate, dark orange-brown, apically obtuse and fringed with straight, white hairs, c. 4 mm long; awn rigid, stout, sharp, reflexed, dark brown, c. 4 mm long. Male flowers: tepals 5 or 6, 2–3 mm long; outer tepals keeled, inner tepals flat. Female flowers: tepals 5 or 6; outer tepals keeled; inner tepals flat. Culm anatomy: central cavity absent; chlorenchyma continuous, mostly of a single layer of elongated peg cells; with inward-projecting epidermal cells partially lining substomatal cavities; walls of epidermal cells thickened on outer wall and outer part of radial walls; with radially elongated epidermal cells forming mounds on the culm surface.
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