Herb, dioecious, perennial, glabrous, forming diffuse patches of clusters of culms joined by rhizomes. Rhizomes c. 5 mm diam. Cataphylls red-brown, scarious, extending 1–4 cm up the culm. Culms usually closely spaced, occasionally to 1 cm apart, erect, terete to slightly flattened, 40–90 cm long, 0.6–1.8 mm diam., smooth to slightly rugose, simple, with a branched inflorescence; lowest internode short (2–4 cm). Sheaths 4 or 5, persistent, 1.5–4.0 cm long, loose, lax or reflexed, usually with inrolled margins, red-to dull-brown, obtuse to truncate; lamina erect, to c. 5 mm long. Inflorescence 2.5–11 cm long; branches to 4 cm long, moderately crowded with flowers, lower branches spaced further apart on the culm, upper branches clustered; spathes usually exceeding branches, 1.3–2.0 cm long; floral bracts 2, cuspidate. Male flowers: tepals rigid, yellow-brown, lanceolate; outer tepals longer, 3.2–4.0 mm long; inner tepals 2.9–3.5 mm long; filaments c. 2 mm long; anthers c. 2 mm long. Female flowers: tepals similar to males; outer tepals 3.0–4.2 mm long; inner tepals 2.5–3.5 mm long. Seeds ellipsoidal, c. 1.2 mm long, colliculate with small raised areas that are prominently ridged.
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