Tufted perennial herb. Culms erect at first, often becoming decumbent with age, terete, compressed or sulcate, smooth, without nodes, light yellow-green, 20–60 cm high, 0.5–1.3 mm diam. Leaf-sheaths red-brown turning grey-brown with age, ± shiny, remaining intact; ligule membranous, to 1.5 cm long; leaf-blades often reduced or occasionally to 15 cm long. Inflorescence narrowly elliptic, 14–20 mm long, c. 3 mm diam., with 1–5 spikelets. Involucral bracts: lowest longer than the inflorescence, 2.5–5.5 cm long; a second bract opposed to the first, with a short blade to 5 mm long; both bracts with broadened bases with narrow membranous margins which envelop the inflorescence except at maturity. Spikelets 12–18 mm long; glumes 4–6, with a short, straight awn. Anthers c. 5 mm long, with an apical appendage c. 1.5 mm long. Nutlet 5.0–8.0 mm long, 2.0–2.2 mm diam., whitish or brown or grey with brown-black spots, obovate-oblong to long-elliptical; gynophore united with the base of the nutlet, yellowish, without disc.
Grows in low-lying, at least seasonally swampy, areas of low heath, mostly on coastal sandplains. This species is found in wetter situations than the other species in the genus.
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