Rhizomes creeping. Basal leaves 1 or more; cauline leaf 1 or absent; leaf sheath and petiole long. Inflorescences borne basally or above an elongate internode on leafy shoots, subtended by a cauline leaf or a reduced, bladeless sheath, compound, capitate, often with additional spikes borne in axils of basal bracts of initially produced spike and later additional ones in basal bracts of secondary spikes, often in a very compact, congested group of few to many small spikes; bracts spirally arranged, often shredding into fibers after anthesis, at least at apex. Flower pairs 2 to many per bract. Sepals usually longer than corolla tube, membranous. Corolla tube proximally ± solid, distally hollow; lobes 3, oblong, subequal. Outer staminodes 2, obovate, staminode tube longer than corolla tube; callose staminode wholly callose, not petaloid at apex. Style curved after tripping; stigma enlarged, blunted. Fruit globose to ellipsoid, dehiscent, often late dehiscent; pericarp hard. Seeds 1--3; aril membranous.
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