Herb, perennial, dioecious, caespitose, with short erect rhizomes from a narrow base, the base pubescent; cluster roots present. Culms slender, erect or trailing, flexuose and much-branched, often forming tangled masses, terete to compressed, striate, glabrous except in sheath axils. Sheaths appressed, persistent; ligule a narrow, glabrous, membranous flap of tissue. Spikelets mostly singly at the upper nodes. Male spikelets with several or many flowers. Female spikelets with 1–several flowers. Male flowers: tepals 6, 2 outer tepals keeled, inner tepals flat; stamens 3, anthers exserted. Female flowers: tepals 6, outer tepals longer than inner; ovary loculi 2 or 3; style-branches 2 or 3, very shortly connate. Fruit a compressed, thin-walled capsule. Seed ellipsoid, with distinctive pattern of slightly convex, slightly lobed isodiametric cells in indistinct longitudinal rows. Culm anatomy: chlorenchyma of 2 or 3 layers of short peg cells interrupted by sclerenchyma girders and enlarged epidermal cells but without pillar cells or protective cells; central cavity present.
Home