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Annual or sometimes perennial (see note), forming loose clumps. Leaves flabellate, up to 40 cm long, 2 mm wide; sheath gradually dilated to base, glabrous, smooth, green, brown at base, margin hyaline; ligule absent; lamina linear, glabrous; apex solid, paler, acute, slightly incurved. Peduncle 30-50(-75) cm long, ±2 mm in diameter, ±terete with low longitudinal ridges; spike subspherical, becoming depressed-spherical with age, at maturity 5-12 mm long, 7-14 mm wide, dark brown; sterile bracts broadly ellipsoid to broadly obovate, rounded, the outer often split at the apex, brown, darker towards the middle and the apex; fertile bracts similar but paler and thinner, strongly concave, midrib keeled towards the refuse apex and apiculate. Lateral sepals boat-shaped, curved, glabrous, pale brown, keel entire, dark brown towards the acute or acuminate apex; corolla-lobes broadly obovate, ±3.5 mm long, 2.5 mm wide; tube ±4.5 mm long. Filaments ±0.5 mm long; anthers ±1 mm long; staminodes bifurcate, much-branched. Ovary obovoid, 2.5 mm long, 1.5 mm; style 2 mm long, branches ±1 mm long, much-branched, stigmas aggregated into a single mass. Seeds ellipsoid, 0.3 mm long, 0.2 mm in diameter, with 12-16 longitudinal ridges, cross-ridges also clear.
Tufted perennials up to c. 0.3 m tall, but also paedogenic, producing flowers when barely past seedling stage. Rhizome small, roots bilaterally arranged, many. Leaves opposite, erect, linear, laterally flattened, c. 50-150 x 4 mm, broadening slightly from base and tapering to an acute apex, terminating in a small obtuse callosity; cataphylls 0. Scapes about twice as long as leaves, usually terete, green and minutely papillate at first but, with subsequent lengthening, basal portion loses outer epidermis becoming golden-brown, smooth and shiny. Spikes ellipsoid to rounded, c. 10 mm in diam. (1)-3-5-flowered; bracts numerous, rather loosely imbricate at maturity, margins recurved or divergent, olive brown, subtranslucent; outer 2 pairs broadly elliptic, hooded or flat, not keeled, inner more or less straight and con-duplicate, keeled, apex sharply acute. Lateral sepals slightly curved, hyaline, keeled, apex acute, keel winged in lower half, margin entire or rarely with a very few broad teeth. Staminodes scarcely exserted from corolla-tube. Capsule oblong-ovoid, 3-4 mm long, obtuse; seeds ellipsoid, 0.5 mm long.
Tufted, perennial herb, hydrophyte/helophyte, 0.07-0.90 m high; rhizome with bilaterally arranged roots. Leaves 50-150 x 4 mm, distichous, linear, laterally flattened, tapering. Scapes ± twice as long as leaves, terete, minutely papillate when young, becoming smooth, shiny and golden-brown at base. Bracts shiny brown, loosely imbricate at maturity, margins recurved or divergent. Inflorescence ellipsoid to rounded. Sepals 3; lateral 2 slightly curved, hyaline, keeled, apex acute, keel winged in lower half, smooth, margins entire or rarely with broad teeth. Petals 3, yellow, with claws splitting when ovary develops. Flowering time Sept.-May. Fruit an oblong-ovoid, obtuse capsule.
Tufted, annual or occasionally perennial herb, up to 300 mm high. Leaves distichous, 2-8, arranged in 2 rows, arising from a small base or rarely from small rhizomes; bases brownish, not persistent. Flowers: scape terete, green above, lower half golden-brown and shiny; heads almost spherical, 5-12 mm long, ± 5-10-f lowered; lateral sepals > 5 mm long; bracts entire, dark brown to blackish brown; lateral sepals brownish, keels entire; Oct.-May.
Tufted, perennial herb, up to 300 mm tall. Leaves distichous, 2-8 from a small base. Scape terete, green above, lower half golden brown and shiny. Spikes ± 6-flowered, bracts shiny brown. Sometimes paedogenic. Flowers yellow.
Grass-like perennial, 8-50 cm. Leaves linear. Flowers in tight clusters among brown bracts, yellow, lasting a few hours.
