Stems rather stout, obtusely trigonous, smooth, c. 1½-2 m by 2-4 mm (5-6 mm at the base), the incrassate base covered with castaneous sheaths and their fibrous remains. Basal leaves coriaceous, much shorter than the stems, conduplicate at the base, otherwise canaliculate or flat, gradually narrowed into a long triquetrous point, scabrous on the margins, 4-10 mm wide; cauline leaves 3-4, shorter than the basal ones, with tubular castaneous 4-8 cm long sheaths; the emarginature at the orifice acute, v-shaped, with overlapping margins. Inflorescence loose, 40-90 cm long, consisting of 4-8 distant fascicles of branches; branches 2-4 together, erect, unequal, ancipitous, scaberulous. Lower bracts similar to cauline leaves but shorter, 5-10 cm long, the uppergradually shorter. Spikelets numerous, solitary, shortly peduncled, narrowly lanceolate, acute, 2-flowered, 7-8 by 1-1½ mm. Glumes 7, subdistichous, castaneous; lower 4 empty, ovate, shortly aristate; flower-bearing glumes oblong, c. 6 mm long, asperous towards the apex; uppermost glume thinly membranous, empty. Lower flower male, or functionally male (with abortive gynaeceum), upper bisexual. Bristles 2-3, capillary, white, minutely scaberulous at the top. Stamens in both flowers 6; anthers linear, rufescent, inconspicuously auricled at the base, 2 mm long, with a c. 1½ mm long scabrous appendage of the connective. Persistent style-base narrowly pyramidal, antrorsely scabrous, stramineous, c. 2 mm. Stigmas 3. Nut trigonous, obovoid, attenuate at the base, smooth, castaneous, 2½-3 by 1-1½ mm.
Marshy ‘padang’, on sandy soil, at c. 100 m, locally very common and a dominant in this type of vegetation (E. Borneo); in Sarawak also in open heath forest (Bako National Park) and abundant but localized in the centre of peat swamp forest ( ANDERSON Gard. Bull. Sing. 20 1963 216 ).
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