Leaves coriaceous, linear, with prominent mid-nerve beneath and 2 of the lateral nerves more or less prominent above, hardly narrowed at the conduplicate base, gradually narrowed at the top into a long aculeate-scabrous acumen, serrulate-scabrous throughout the margins and on the midnerve in the upper part, glaucous, up to 80 cm by 7-9 mm; sheaths shining castaneous. Scapes lateral, obtus-angular, striate-sulcate, scaberulous especially towards the top, 18-30 cm by 1 mm, the base clothed with some membranous, brown, acute, striate sheaths up to 5 cm long. Inflorescence capitate, consisting of 3-5 spikelets, c. 1 by 1½-2½ cm. Involucral bracts c. 3, very small, ovate or triangular, 2-4 mm long. Spikelets narrowly ellipsoid or lanceolate, acute, 7-13 by 3-4 mm. Glumes coriaceous, ovate to oblong, rounded at the apex, indistinctly 3-nerved, fuscous, with scarious margins, 3½-4 by c. 2 mm. Flowers as long as the glumes; outermost scales minutely ciliolate on the keel. Style 3-fid. Nut ovoid-ellipsoid, acuminate at both ends, stipitate (stipe c. ¾ mm), rugulose, brown or greyish brown, 3-3½ by 1½ mm, the short, conical, recurved beak included.
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