Shrub about 1 m tall; branches leafy towards the tips and covered below by persistent leaf bases. Leaves obovate, oblanceolate to obovate-oblong, 4-8 cm long, 1-2 cm broad, tapering into a petiole-like base and stem-clasping, with 1-3 visible veins when dry, obtuse, usually mucronate, rough on both surfaces or possibly only on under surface sometimes with asymmetrical pitted asperities or glands. Scape 15-30 cm tall, very rarely only 10 cm, with a dense or somewhat lax-flowered dichotomously branched corymbose panicle, rougher than the leaves; bracts broadly ovate to ovate-lanceolate, with membranous margin, up to about 5 mm long; spikes of few to many closely set spikelets. Spikelets 1-flowered; bracts 7-8 mm long, enwrapping the base of the calyx, obtuse with broad membranous margins. Flowers shortly pedicellate, articulating below the calyx and giving a disc-like head to the pedicel. Calyx 12-15 mm long, cylindric in the lower half and sparsely pubescent towards base, glabrous above, the limb expanded and shortly 5-ribbed, obtusely 10-lobed, the intermediate lobes being slightly smaller. Petals oblanceolate-oblong, obtuse, emarginate, longer than the calyx. Stamens with versatile anthers divided halfway. Ovary 5-winged; styles 5, free.
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