Culms densely to loosely cespitose, 10--40 cm. Leaves: basal leaves 3.5--12 cm x 2--6 mm; cauline leaves equaling or exceeding inflorescences. Inflorescences: glomerules 3--16 (each with 8--16 flowers), 1--2 nearly sessile with others on evident peduncles, mostly cylindric; secondary branches sometimes present, usually straight, erect; proximal inflorescence bract barely as long as to exceeding inflorescence. Flowers: tepals pale brown to chestnut brown to blackish with clear margins, 2--4 mm; outer and inner whorl ± equal, or outer whorl slightly longer (outer whorl pointed, inner whorl pointed or truncate-mucronate); anthers not more than 2 times filament length; stigmas 0.8--1.5 mm; styles not persistent in fruit. Capsules pale to brown to black, globose, shorter than to ± equaling tepals. Seeds 1.1--1.7 mm; caruncles 0.2--0.6 mm.
Grass-like, densely tufted. Leaves (1.5)-2-4 mm wide, < stems, bright green, villous on margins in lower half, tip obtuse; sheaths with thick tuft of white tangled hairs at mouth, especially noticeable in cauline leaves. Flowering stems 20-30-(60) cm high, erect. Inflorescence umbel-like with a central cluster and 3-10 few-flowered lateral oblong clusters c. 5 mm diam. on ± equal erect peduncles to 4 cm long. Flowers 2.5-3 mm long, not close-set, with bases of flowers and rhachis between them visible; tepals red-brown with broad whitish membranous margins. Stamens 6, anthers ± = filaments. Capsule < tepals, red-brown. Seeds with conspicuous white caruncle.