Perennial, with abbreviated or shortly creeping rhizome. Stems densely tufted or very approximate on the creeping rhizome, erect, slender but rigid, terete, striate-sulcate with 1-3 deeper grooves, smooth, leafy only at the base, very variable in height, 30-125 cm by 1½-2½ mm. Leaves 1-2, with purplish sheaths woolly bearded at the mouth, and very short, spreading, obtuse blades ½-1½ (sometimes up to 5) cm long. Inflorescence racemose or paniculate, narrow, loose, consisting of 4-5 fascicles of branches, 4-20 cm long. Bracts very short, with purplish sheaths woolly at the mouth, and small reflexed blades. Branches 2-5 together, unequal, erect, compressed, scaberulous on the angles. Spikelets rather numerous, lanceolate, acute, often slightly falcate, 1-3-flowered, blackish purple, 4-8(-10) by 1½-2mm. Glumes 7-11, lanceolate, acute, with densely woolly-ciliate margins, the fertile one(s) 4-7 mm long, the lower 4-6 empty, gradually shorter. Bristles usually absent, rarely up to 5, capillary, up to 1½ mm long. Stamens 3; anthers 2-3 mm; appendage of the connective distinct, dark purplish. Style 3-5 mm long; stigmas 3. Nut trigonous, ovoid or oblong-ovoid, more or less transversely rugulose, dull stramineous, c. 1½-1⅔ by 5/6 mm.
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