Rhizome short. Stems tufted, rather stout, ancipitous, more or less asperous at least on the angles, several-leaved (but often not completely hidden by the leaf-sheaths), 45-90 cm by 3-5 mm. Leaves as long as or overtopping the stems, coriaceous, equitant, ensiform, gradually narrowed upwards and shortly acuminate, more or less asperous to almost smooth, 7-12 mm wide, the cartilagineous margins often brown. Panicle erect, oblong, narrow, loose, consisting of 5-6 distant fascicles of branches, 20-40 cm long. Lower bracts long, similar to the leaves, the upper ones much shorter to almost spathiform. Branches 2-5 together, erect, rigid, very unequal, slightly flexuous, scabrous, elongate, up to 20 cm long. Clusters of 3-5 spikelets turbinate, spicately arranged along the branches, c. 4-5 by 4 mm. Spikelets oblonglanceolate, 1-flowered, ferrugineous to fuscous, 5-6 by c. 2 mm. Glumes 4-5, ovate-lanceolate, acute or minutely mucronulate, asperous, ciliolate, up to c. 5 mm long. Bristles absent. Stamens 3; anthers c. 2½ mm long; connective produced into a c. ½ mm long appendage. Nut ellipsoid, obtusely trigonous, sessile, smooth, shining reddish brown to castaneous, 3½-4 by 1-1⅓ mm (beak included); persistent style-base pyramidal, much narrower than the nut, densely white-sericeous, c. 1½ mm long.
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