Leaves coriaceous, linear, slightly narrowed towards the conduplicate base, gradually to rather suddenly narrowed upward to the slender, triquetrous, aculeate-scabrous tip, with the midnerve prominent beneath and several rather prominent lateral nerves, the margins finely scabrous to almost smooth and the midnerve scabrous on the lower surface in the upper part, glaucous, up to 1½ m by c. 1½-4 cm; sheathing bases stramineous. Scapes lateral, from the axils of the lower leaves or below the leaves, trigonous to almost terete, incrassate at the top, scabrous by very short, stiff hairs, at length glabrescent, up to 60(-90?) cm by 1½-3 mm. Inflorescence either consisting of a single spikelet or capitate, with up to 4 spikelets surrounded by a few coriaceous, lanceolate, acute, many-nerved, up to 3 cm long bracts. Spikelets oblong-ovoid, acute, terete, 2-4 cm long. Lower glumes coriaceous, ovate-lanceolate, acute, many-nerved, with scarious margins, 10-15 mm long; flower-bearing glumes thinner, oblong, several-nerved. Flowers 10-15 mm long; outermost scales ciliate on the keel. Style 3-cleft. Nut obovoid-pyriform, terete, berry-like by the succulent exocarp, stipitate (stipe 1-2 mm), shortly beaked, strongly wrinkled when dry, yellow or orange, 6-7 by 3½-4 mm (beak included).
In dense rain-forest, in mossy forest undergrowth, at low altitudes, up to 900 m.
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