Leaves coriaceous, linear to broadly linear, with the midnerve prominent beneath and 2 of the lateral nerves more or less prominent above, slightly narrowed towards the conduplicate base, gradually to rather abruptly narrowed to the up to 10 cm long, aculeate-scabrous, triquetrous tail, aculeate-scabrous on the margins and on the keel beneath, up to 2½ m by (2-)3-6 cm; sheaths brownish. Scapes lateral, trigonous to almost terete, densely furfuraceous to almost smooth, (10-)30-70 cm by (2-)3-6 mm, up to 15 mm thick at the incrassate top, sheathed at the base with some loose, ovate to lanceolate, striate, up to 15 cm long scales. Inflorescence capitate, semiglobose to globose, with few to numerous spikelets, (1½-)4-6(-8) cm across. Bracts 4-8, coriaceous, ovate to lanceolate, somewhat shorter than to about as long as the inflorescence, many-ribbed. Spikelets usually 10-50, sometimes only 3-5, not rarely up to 100, very densely packed, ellipsoid, 1¼-2 by 5-10 mm. Glumes subcoriaceous, oblong or lanceolate, often lacerate at the top. Flowers about as long as the glumes, (7-)10-15 mm long. Outermost flower-scales ciliate on the keel, the third (anterior) scale ciliate on both keels. Stamens 4-8 mm long. Style 3-cleft. Nut obovoid, shortly stipitate, with small recurved beak, greyish brown, c. 4 by 2-2½ mm.
In wet or muddy places in damp primary forests, along streams, on wet rocks, from few m altitude up to 1500 m.
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