Rhizome laterally compressed, 2–5 mm thick; internodes variable in length, usually 1 or 2 long internodes, 1.5 cm long, followed by 2–4 short internodes, 0.5–2.5 mm long. Leaves 2 or 3 per shoot. Leaf sheath 10–25 cm long; margins overlapping for 3/4 its length; ligule 1 mm long; auricles 2 mm long, sheath fibre bundles abundant amongst parenchyma tissue. Leaf blade biconcave, linear, to 180 cm long, 6–10 (–12) mm wide; apex spathulate to rounded; longitudinal veins 9–17; epidermal cells oval to rectangular with smooth margins; epidermal cells cross–section height:width ratio 1.5–2.5. Inflorescence of 6–10 spikes, each with 3 flowers; peduncle 20–40 cm long. Anther 3–4 mm long, 0.8–1 mm diam.; anther connective 5–6 mm long, 1–1.15 mm diam. Ovary 2–2.5 mm long, 1 mm diam.; stigma 1–1.5 mm high, with central groove, papillose with 2 crests. Fruit broadly elliptic, laterally compressed, 3–4 cm long. Seeds pyriform, 12–14 mm long, 5 mm wide.
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