Stems few and erect from a short knotty rhizome, branched in the upper third or half, nearly leafless, longitudinally sulcate, 3/4-1 lin. thick, glabrous; leaves very few and closely adpressed to the stem, linear, 1-2 lin. long, glabrous; flowers borne on the primary branches, spicate; spikes slender, suberect, slightly flexuous towards the apex, loose-flowered, glabrous; bracts shorter than the flowers, subulate from an ovate-triangular base, 1-1 1/2 lin. long, keeled, with scurfy membranous margins; bracteoles similar to the bracts but a little shorter; perianth about 1 1/2 lin. long; segments elliptic, subacute, flat, 3/4 lin. long, with a dense woolly apical beard and hairy margins; anthers included in the perianth-tube, or partly exserted; stigma sessile or supported on an extremely short style; fruits rather long-stipitate, ellipsoid, quite 3 lin. long, with numerous conspicuous ribs, prominently reticulate between the ribs.
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