Stolons up to 15 cm long, covered with lanceolate, acute, many-nerved scales; brownish sheaths often present. Leaves subcoriaceous, lorate, with prominent midnerve and 2 of the lateral nerves more or less prominent, scabrous on margins and keel only at the very top, dark green above, paler beneath, 15-75 by 3-7 cm, the apex somewhat notched or suddenly contracted into a stiff, triquetrous, aculeate, 1-6 cm long tail, the base contracted into a con-duplicate ribbed petiole 15-50 cm long and 3-5 mm wide; leaf-sheaths broad, purplish, the lower ones bladeless. Scapes terminal, triquetrous, gradually thickened towards the top, setulose-scabrous especially on the angles, rusty when dry, 15-50 cm long, 2-3 mm thick at the base, 5-7 mm at the top, the base destitute of scales. Inflorescence capitate, with 8-50 densely crowded spikelets, (2-)3-5 cm across. Bracts c. 3, the outer 1-2 more or less leafy and overtopping the inflorescence, abruptly narrowed into a 3-7½ cm long tail, the lowest sometimes slightly distant, similar to the leaves, shortly sheathing, up to 45 by 7 cm. Spikelets oblong, acute or obtusish, 1-2 cm by 5-6 mm. Glumes oblong-ovate to oblong, obtuse, somewhat cucullate, prominently many-nerved, 7-9 mm long. Flowers about as long as the glumes. Anthers linear, 3-4 mm. Style (2-)3-cleft. Nut ellipsoid or subpyriform, brown, 4 by 2-2½ mm.
In primary forests, along streams, at low and medium altitudes, on Mt Kinabalu up to 1650 m.
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