Plant sparsely tufted; shoots often with only 2-4 leaves. Leaves terete, occasionally semiterete, usually c. 30 cm long, to c. 2 mm diam., glabrous or scabrous; apex acute; sheath margins scarcely lacerated, reddish or purplish. Male inflorescence 1/3-1/2 or rarely nearly as long as leaves, unbranched or occasionally few-branched; scape approximately as long as rachis; axes smooth; flowers separate, well spaced. Female inflorescence similar but shorter, rarely branched; axes sometimes papillose. Bracts ovate, 1-2 mm long; inner bract sometimes absent. Flowers yellow, not usually blackening when dried. Male flowers globular, 2 mm long; sepals broadly elliptical to almost circular, shorter and more membranous than the thick petals; pedicel 3 mm long. Female flowers more tubular, 3 mm long; pedicel to 1 mm long.
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