Forming compact, 3-angled clumps. Leaves linear, flat or somewhat folded lengthwise, very gradually or (in broad-leaved specimens) rather suddenly narrowed into a subfiliform, scabrous point, antrorsely aculeate-scabrous on the margins and on the midnerve beneath in the upper part, up to 70(-100) by ¾-1½(-2) cm, the base strongly conduplicate, with reddish brown or purplish, scarious margins. Scapes trigonous, smooth, usually reddish brown, up to 45 cm by 1-2 mm, in or about the middle with 1-2 tubular, 3-5 cm long sheaths split up at the top, the base clothed with some loose, lanceolate, fuscous sheaths. Inflorescence corymbiform, simple or compound, with few to many spikelets, rarely in some of the scapes reduced to a single spikelet, up to 3½ by 7 cm, the lower branches divaricate, up to 3 cm long, the upper ones suberect, very short. Fruiting spikelets subglobose, ellipsoid, or oblong-ovoid, 3-6(-10) by 3-4 mm. Glumes ovate, obtuse, minutely ciliolate on the upper margin, 2-3 by 1½-2 mm. Flowers 1¾-2(-3) mm long; hypogynous scales 5(-6), the upper 3(-4) lanceolate or narrowly ovate. Stamens 2, very rarely 3; anthers oblong-linear, ½-1 mm. Style triquetrous, more or less scabrid; stigmas 3, or in a few flowers 4. Nut obliquely erect, fusiform or subpyriform, subterete or slightly compressed, acuminate at both ends, shortly stipitate, rounded at the apex, brown or greyish black, with 3 longitudinal pale stripes, 1½-2½ by ¾-1¼ mm; beak indistinct, confluent with the nut proper.
In rain-forests, along forest-trails, on seep-ages, in the lowlands and on the lower mountain slopes, up to 1200 m.
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